How to Measure Room Temperature

Room temperature refers to the range of air temperatures that people prefer indoors. Measuring room temperature is actually really easy to do. You can choose a thermometer that you keep in the center of the room to provide a temperature reading, or you can download an app to your smartphone that can measure room temperature.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Reading a Thermometer

1. Choose a digital thermometer for the most accurate reading. Electronic or digital thermometers can be more expensive than other thermometers, but they provide a faster reading and can give a more accurate temperature. They also react to temperature changes faster than other types of thermometers so you always have an accurate reading.^[1]
   
   • Some digital thermometers have the capability to store temperature readings. So you can compare the room temperature over time to see how it changes.
2. Use a glass thermometer to get an approximate temperature. Glass thermometers use a glass tube filled with liquid to measure the temperature. As the air around the thermometer gets warmer, the liquid moves up the tube and can be used to get a close measurement of the room temperature.
   
   • Choose a glass thermometer that doesn’t contain mercury. Mercury is highly toxic and can be dangerous if the thermometer breaks.^[2]
   • Glass thermometers can also be called a bulb thermometer or a liquid-in-glass thermometer.
3. Select a bimetallic thermometer for an easy to read option. Bimetallic or dial thermometers have a metal pointer that moves up and down a circular scale to show you the temperature. They use a strip of metal that expands and bends as the temperature increases. As the strip expands or contracts, it moves the pointer on the scale. The big arrow of the pointer makes it easy to check the room temperature.^[3]
   
   • Bimetallic thermometers aren’t as accurate as digital thermometers.
4. Place the thermometer in the center of the room. No matter what type of thermometer you use, you need to place it in the center of the room at least off of the ground for an accurate measurement of room temperature. Mounting a thermometer on a wall can produce inaccurate results because the heat from the walls can distort the reading.^[4]
   
   • Set the thermometer on a table or stool so the temperature of the floor doesn’t affect the reading.
5. Wait 5 minutes for the thermometer to adjust to the room. Before you check the temperature, allow the thermometer to adjust to the room. Thermometers, especially glass and bimetallic, need a few minutes to accurately read the temperature of the room.
   
   • Don’t hold or stand directly next to the thermometer or your body heat could affect the temperature reading.^[5]
6. Check the temperature on the thermometer. After you’ve placed your thermometer in the center of the room and waited a few minutes to allow it to adjust, you can check the temperature reading to measure the room temperature. A general room temperature measurement is around .^[6]
   
   • A digital thermometer will display the temperature on its screen and will be the most accurate.
   • Read the numbers next to the top of the liquid in a glass thermometer to measure the temperature.
   • Look at the number that the arrow is pointing to on a bimetallic thermometer to measure the temperature.

[Edit]Using a Smartphone

1. Download a thermometer application to your smartphone. Many smartphones are equipped with sensors that they use to monitor the temperature of the device. You can download an app that uses these sensors to take an ambient temperature reading of the room. Go to the app store on your phone and search for a thermometer app to download.^[7]
   
   • Go to the app store to download a thermometer app to your iPhone.
   • Use the Google Play Store to download an app to your Android.
   • Popular temperature apps include My Thermometer, Smart Thermometer, and iThermometer.
2. Open the application. Once you’ve downloaded the app, locate it on your screen, and tap on it with your finger to open it up. You may have to wait a few minutes for the app to update after you open it up.
   
   • You have to wait until the app is fully downloaded before you can open it.
3. Select the ambient temperature reading to measure room temperature. Depending on which app you use, you will have different temperature readings to choose from. Some apps allow you to check the temperature of your phone’s battery or the temperature outside based on meteorological data. Choose the ambient temperature reading to find the room temperature around you.^[8]
   

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.explainthatstuff.com/thermometers.html
2. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/mercury/mercury-thermometers
3. ↑ https://www.explainthatstuff.com/thermometers.html
4. ↑ https://www.new-learn.info/packages/clear/thermal/people/surveying/measurements/measuringconditions.html
5. ↑ https://www.new-learn.info/packages/clear/thermal/people/surveying/measurements/measuringconditions.html
6. ↑ http://www.reachoutmichigan.org/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/caps/thermometer.html
7. ↑ https://medium.com/@ssaurel/measure-the-temperature-around-you-on-android-with-my-thermometer-a6dbefa539cf
8. ↑ https://medium.com/@ssaurel/measure-the-temperature-around-you-on-android-with-my-thermometer-a6dbefa539cf