Answer :
Final answer:
Thermometers must be calibrated to ensure accurate temperature readings, using known standards as reference points. While cleaning and sanitizing are important for safety, calibration directly affects measurement accuracy. Therefore, ensuring your thermometer is calibrated is crucial for reliable results.
Explanation:
Temperature Measurement and Thermometer Calibration
For thermometers to read temperatures correctly, they must be calibrated. Calibration is the process of adjusting the thermometer to ensure its reading matches a known standard, which helps in obtaining accurate measurements. Without this crucial step, the readings can be inaccurate, leading to potential errors in various applications, such as in laboratories or medical settings.
Importance of Calibration
Calibration involves using reference points, typically ice water at 0°C and boiling water at 100°C, for most liquid-in-glass thermometers. The thermometer is adjusted until those points reflect the correct temperatures. Regular calibration is necessary to maintain accuracy over time and to account for any wear or deviations that occur during use.
Other processes, such as cleaning and sanitizing, while vital for hygiene and preventing contamination, do not directly influence the thermometer's accuracy. For reliable results, especially in scientific and medical fields, ensuring the thermometer is both clean and calibrated is essential. Testing alone is insufficient; without proper calibration, the thermometer can still provide incorrect readings.
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