What Does a Pyrometer Measure?
A pyrometer measures temperatures that are above the range of most mercurial thermometers, such as molten metals, according to the Oxford American Dictionary. The first pyrometers measured an object's temperature by how much its size changed when heated.
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Function
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Most pyrometers use the heat that radiates from an object to measure its temperature without touching it. According to Temperatures.com, an optical pyrometer--one of the most commonly used pyrometers--contains filaments, or fibers, that can be rotated or adjusted until they match the brightness of the object being measured. This is used to determine the temperature of the object.
Applications
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According to the Pyrometer Instrument Company, pyrometers are used to measure the temperature of everything from molten metals in foundries to blast furnaces and even the intensity of forest fires. The company claims pyrometers are absolutely essential for accurately measuring extraordinarily high temperatures in objects that move or can't be touched.
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Origin
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Experts at Kenyon College in Ohio believe Pieter van Musschenbroek, an18th-century Dutch scientist, invented the original pyrometer, while the Encyclopedia Britannica credits English potter Josiah Wedgwood as one of the original inventors. Honeywell International claims it bought the inventor of the pyrometer, Brown Instrument Company, in the 1920s.
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References
- Photo Credit Heat Dial 2 image by Cinneman from Fotolia.com
