Physics Laboratory Report: Course Physics 130-02

Thermocouple

Felipe Esquivel- 201682117

April 23, 2013

Tuesday: 7:15 -10:05

Lab Partners:
Group 3
Andres Garcia
Antoine Thomas

Abstract:
In this experiment we calibrated a thermocouple and use it to study the way in which a heated
object comes into equilibrium with its surroundings.

Introduction:
A thermocouple is thermometer that generates an electric voltage. To be useful, it must be
calibrated against some standard. The thermocouple consists of a pair of junctions of two
dissimilar metals as shown.
A single junction also produces a small thermal emf, but a single junction device is unreliable as
a temperature sensor since its reference is some unknown contact within the voltmeter. To avoid
this problem, one junction of the thermocouple pair will always be held at the standard reference
temperature, a 1 atmosphere ice/water mixture at 0 degrees Celsius.
This thermally produced emf is one of several interrelated thermoelectric effects; it is called the
Seebeck effect and is due to that fact that in different metals the top electron energy is different.
When placed in contact, electrons will tend to flow from higher to lower energy. In a chromelalumel thermocouple, the Seebeck emf is about 4.1 mV/100c, so it is usuallt necessary to amplify
this voltage prior to measurement.

Data Table:
Time(min
)
0
1

Time(s
)
0
60

Voltage
(V)
0.087
0.146

Vx10

Tem(C)

(T-Ta)

0.87
1.46

22.18
36.414

17.18
30.414

120

0.172

1.72

43.577

29.577

180

0.211

2.11

53.11

14.11

240

0.244

2.44

61.11

56.11

300

0.28

2.8

69.313

67.313

360

0.313

3.13

76.4

74.4

420

0.34

3.4

83.273

50.273

480

0.369

3.69

90.242

80.242

Ln(TTa)
/
3.41490
3
3.38699
7
2.64688
4
4.02731
4
4.20935
3
4.30945
6
3.91746
8
4.38504
7

9
10
11

540
600
660

0.394
0.407
0.399

3.94
4.07
3.99

96.281
99.577
97.783

94.281
90.577
96.783

14

840

0.371

3.71

91.429

79.429

17

1020

0.346

3.46

85.519

21.519

20
23
26

1200
1380
1560

0.321
0.305
0.289

3.21
3.05
2.89

78.578
75.273
71.077

76.578
20.273
61.077

4.54628
4.5062
4.57247
1
4.37486
4
3.06893
6
4.33831
3.00929
4.11213
5

Graphs:
5
4.5
4
3.5
3

ln (T-Ta)

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

200

400

600

800

t(s)

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

120
100
80

(T-Ta)

60
40
20
0

10

15

20

25

30

t(s)

5
4.5
4
3.5
3

Temp

2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
10

20

30

40

50

60

t(s)

Ta=23 degrees Celsius

To=100 degrees Celsius
S= ln(T-Ta)/t
S= 23-65.66/26

70

80

90

100

110

S=-1.64
Y=-1.64x+5

Questions:
None.

Statement of Conclusion:
The thermocouple lab was the most time consuming to complete the lab. Our group 3 got the
same data table but we had to compute the rest of the table. It was confusing in how to get the
rest of the data for the table. But at the end I got everything together the temperature increase
made a difference with in the results.