What Kind of Thermometer Did Galileo Invent?
In 1593, Galileo invented a thermometer that allowed for the reading of temperature variation. Galileo's invention today is simply called the Galileo Thermometer. The thermometer uses theories of mass and weight combined with the molecular structure of liquids to tell the temperature. Today, Galileo Thermometers are most commonly used as decorations. However, they are still an accurate way to read air temperature.
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Tubes and Spheres
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The Galileo Thermometer is made up of one large sealed cylinder filled with liquid. The liquid inside the cylinder is usually water. Floating in the water are a number of spheres made of glass that are usually filled with a colored liquid.
The Water
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The density of the water in the cylinder is the key to telling the temperature. When the outside temperature rises, the molecules in the water spread out or become less dense. When the outside temperature lowers, the water molecules become more dense.
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Spheres
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Each sphere inside the cylinder is created to have different densities. The number of spheres can vary with each sphere having a weighted tag. The tag represents the density of that sphere and is marked with a corresponding temperature.
Cold Temperatures
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When the outside temperature drops the density of the water increases. The increased water density allows the heavier or more dense spheres to float toward the top of the cylinder.
Hot Temperatures
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When the water heats up, the density of the water decreases. The decreased density allows the spheres with less weight or density to rise.
Reading the Galileo Thermometer
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Spheres with densities that are different from the density of the water will go to opposite ends of the cylinder. Spheres with similar densities of the water in the cylinder will continue to float in the middle of the cylinder. This middle sphere tells the temperature.
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