TEMPERATURE

Degree of hotness of an object or a place.

It’s measured using 3 types of thermometers namely:

1. Maximum thermometer
2. Minimum thermometer
3. Six’s thermometer

 

Maximum Thermometer

It’s used to measure the highest temperature reached in a day.

It uses mercury.

How It’s Used/Works

• Temperature rises causing mercury to expand.
• Mercury pushes the index up.
• When temperature falls mercury contracts.
• The maximum temperature is read from the scale at the lower end of the index.
• Thermometer is reset by shaking it to force mercury back into the bulb.

 

Minimum Thermometer

It’s used to record the lowest temperature reached in a day.

It uses alcohol.

How it’s Used/Works

• Temperature falls causing alcohol to contract.
• Alcohol pulls the index down.
• When temperature rises alcohol expands and rises in the tube.
• The index remains where it was pulled.
• Minimum temperature reading is obtained from the scale at the lower end of the index.

 

Calculating Temperature

1. Diurnal/daily Temperature range

-Difference between the maximum and minimum temperature for any one day.

2. Mean Daily Temperature

– Average of the maximum and the minimum daily temperatures.

3. Mean Monthly temperature

– Sum of mean daily temperatures in a month divided by the number of days in that month.

4. Mean Monthly minimum Temperature

– Sum of daily minimum temperatures divided by the number of days in that month.

5. Mean Monthly Maximum Temperature

– Sum of daily maximum temperatures divided by the number of days in that month.

6. Mean Annual Temperature

– Sum of mean monthly temperatures divided by 12.

7. Mean Annual Temperature Range

– Difference between the highest and the lowest mean monthly temperatures in a year.

8. ◦k=◦c+273
9. ◦F=(◦c×1.8)+32 derive the rest from the formulas.

 

See also

BUSH FALLOWING IN WEST AFRICA

MINING

MINERALS IN EAST AFRICA

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN FIELD WORK

MINERALS AND ROCKS