Gourt > Science > Instruments and Supplies > Laboratory Equipment > Temperature Sensors and Thermocouples
In electronics, thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor and can also be used as a means to convert thermal potential difference into electric potential difference. They are cheap, interchangeable, have standard connectors, and can measure a wide range of temperatures. The main limitation is accuracy; system errors of less than 1 °C can be difficult to achieve.
Principle of operation
In 1821, an Estonian physicist named Thomas Johann Seebeck discovered that when any conductor (such as a metal) is subjected to a thermal gradient, it will generate a voltage. This is now known as the Seeback effect. Any attempt to measure this voltage necessarily involves connecting another conductor to the "hot" end. This additional conductor will then also experience the temperature gradient, and develop a voltage of its own which will oppose the original. Fortunately, the magnitude of the effect depends on the metal in use. Using a dissimilar metal to complete the circuit will have a different voltage generated, leaving a small difference voltage available for us to measure, which increases with temperature. This difference can typically be between 1 to about 70 microvolts per degree Celsius for the modern range of available metal combinations. Certain combinations have become popular as industry standards, driven by cost, availability, convenience, melting point and chemical properties, stability, and output.
It is important to note that thermocouples measure the temperature difference between two points, not absolute temperature.
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Temperature :: Instrumentation
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