Hands-On-Physics

Heat & Temperature
Messing Around:
THERMOCOUPLE
How to make a thermocouple

At both junctions, use pliers to twist the copper and constantan wires together tightly as shown below. Use enough constantan so one junction can be in an ice bath while you probe with the other. You cannot measure the junction voltage directly, but you can measure the difference between two junctions at different temperatures. Always leave one junction in ice water­p;the "reference junction." Measure the voltage between the two copper wires as you change the temperature of the other junction.



Figure M 12
Making a Thermocouple



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