Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-01
4 Talk about mormomekew@

melting, ice 80 degrees and that of snow and
salt degree or zero-that is, nothing" He
enormously supposed that he had discovered
the lowest possible temperature, but that was
soon proven to be mistake
Boiling-point on Fahrenheit's scale is 212
degrees, SO that between freezing-point and
boiling-point in Fahrenheit's scale there are
$50 degrees.
This measurement of temperature is the ono
most in vogue in our own country; but among
scientific men, and in most European .coun-
tries, another scale is in use. This is the
the 'Centigrade'' scale, from the following
facts: Boiling-point and freezingpoin are
ascertained as already described, and freezing
point is called degree, or zero, and boiling
point 100 degrees; and the distance between
. degree and 100 degrees is equally divided
into hundred parts, each of hich is called
degree centigrade.
Although these two scales of measurement
are best known in this country, there is
another which is the scale for Russia and
this, as in the Centigrade or Celsius scale, the
freezing-point is 0 degree, but the distance
from freezing to boiling-point is only divided
into eighty equal parts, so that boiling-pomt
Reaumur is 80 degrees.
A glance at Fig. will show at once the
relation of the three scales to one another.
We have noticed those thermometers which
are made with red fluid inside instead. of
metallic mercury. They are made with alco-
hol instead of mercury, and the alcohol is
colored with cochineal OF carmine, sometimes
with Prussian blue.
The method of making these thermometers
is similar to that employed in those prepared
with mercury, but they have a rather differ
ent character, which it is worth while to mem
ton.
Mercury, at certain very low temperatures,
freezes, and therefore ceases to be of any
service in recording low temperatures; alco-
hol has never been frozen yet, and therefore
is of use in this way. Alcohol, however, bois
at lower temperature than water, and be-
comes vapor; it cannot therefore be used for
such high temperatures as mercury.
The old-fashioned thermometers were made
with a spherical bulb; these. however. are
not the best in shape, and the bulbs are made
larger and thinner, thus giving a larger sur
face of exposure. Of such shape are the
clinical thermometers used by physicians,
which register from about 95 degrees Fahren-
het to 113 degrees Fahrenheit.
One often sees in room the thermometer
hung up against the wall To do this is,
strictly speaking, wrong, as, If the wall COM
municates with the outside, and it be north-
ern wall, the temperature ON that wall Will
be lower than the temperature in the rest of
the room.
The proper way is to suspend the thermom-
eter in the middle of the room, where it IS
free of any object likely to affect its temporary
ture.
Similarly, one often sees thermometer
outside a window, which is intended to take
the temperature of the. outer air.. and on
which hot sun is shining; the thermome-
ter. of course, registers much too high a tenn
perature. It should be suspended in the
open air, and in the shade, and always facing
TO the north.
And now hope that many Of you know
more about thermometers than you did, and
can feel, when you see one, Il know how you
are made" II know how you act" The little
friend is, hope, no longer mystery to you,
but thing of familiar interest.