Hands-On-Physics
HEAT & TEMPERATURE

Messing
Around

- Calibration -



To get accurate measurements from a sensor, you have to calibrate. In this activity, you calibrate one of the sensors for later use. Calibrating your sensors lets you convert your readings into temperature. For instance, calibration would let you convert the resistance readings from a thermistor into degrees. Your goal is to come up with a way of converting "raw data", the readings on your meter, to temperature. The following sketch suggests one way. Calibration always involves two measuring devices. To calibrate, you compare readings from a standard device to the readings of the sensor you are calibrating.


Figure M6
Scheme for Calibration of a Sensor

In the calibration curve shown below, five data points, indicated by crosses, have been taken across a range of temperatures. Then a smooth curve, shown in green, was fit to these data. Later, if you measure a resistance, a, shown in blue, then this reading can be converted to a temperature, b, shown in red.



Figure M7
Calibration cure

Steps in Calibration




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