TITLE.PM5

32 ENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS

dharm
M-therm/th2-1.pm5

4. Above 1064.43°C :
   l It is based on the intensity of radiation JT at temperature T emitted by a black body at
   a wavelength λ in the visible spectrum and by comparing this to the intensity of radiation
   JAu at the same wavelength emitted by a black body at the gold point.
   l The temperature is calculated from Planck’s equation for black body radiation

J

J

T

Au

=

exp 1

exp 1

2

2

C

T

C

T

λ Au

λ

F

HG

I

KJ

−

F

HG

I

KJ−

...(2.8)

where C 2 = 0.01438 in °C, and λ = wavelength in metres.

Following points are worth noting for gas thermometers :

l The gas thermometers are never used for the measurement of temperatures. However,

they are ideal when used for calibration for establishing the ideal gas temperature

scale, and for establishing a standard because of precision, reproducible results, and

their reading being independent of the thermometric substance used.

l The gas thermometers can be used only for temperatures upto which gases do not liquify.

Method in use before 1954 :

l Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are the two commonly used scales for the measurement of

temperature. Symbols C and F are respectively used to denote the readings on these two

scales. Until 1954 the temperature scales were based on two fixed points : (i) the steam

point (boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure), and (ii) the ice point

(freezing point of water).

The fixed points for these temperature scales are :

Temperature Celsius scale Fahrenheit scale

Steam point 100 212

Ice point 032

Interval 100 180

l The relation between a particular value C on celsius scale and F on Fahrenheit scale is

found to be as mentioned below :

CF

100

32

180

= − or CF

5

32

9

= − ...(2.9)

l Further the relation between a temperature difference ∆tF on Fahrenheit scale and ∆tC

on celsius scale is

∆tF =^180100 ∆tC =^95 ∆tC = 1.8 ∆tC ...(2.10)

l The use of two fixed points was found unsatisfactory and later abandoned because of the

following reasons :

(i) It is difficult to achieve equilibrium between pure ice and air-saturated water (since

when ice melts, it surrounds itself only with pure water and prevents intimate contact

with air-saturated water).

(ii) There is extreme sensitiveness of the steam point to the change in pressure.

Method in use after 1954 :

It was suggested by Kelvin that a single fixed point only was necessary to establish a

temperature. He pointed out that triple point of water (the state at which ice, liquid water and

water vapour coexist in equilibrium) could be used as the single point. The tenth CGPM, in 1954,

adopted this fixed point, and value was set at 0.01°C or 273.16 K in the Kelvin scale thus established.