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Make Your Own Globe Thermometer

Have you ever wondered how scientists measure different kinds of temperatures? Which temperature would you measure if you stuck a ping-pong ball on the end of a thermometer? We use different things to measure different temperatures. Build your own globe thermometer and discover how radiant heat can impact how comfortable you feel in different environments.

If you are on a city sidewalk or urban area surrounded by roads or other infrastructure, those structures absorb and re-emit the sun’s heat more than other things like trees or grass.  Mean radiant temperature serves as a measure of this exchange of heat between our surroundings and ourselves, and it is a big factor in how comfortable we feel outside. People are generally more comfortable in environments with lower mean radiant temperatures. This is one reason why a green park feels cooler than a grey concrete sidewalk.


In this activity, you will make a globe thermometer. A globe thermometer typically consists of a black, hollow, air-filled globe on the end of a thermometer or temperature sensor. It was introduced by Vernon in the 1930s as a means of assessing the combined effects of radiation, air temperature and air velocity on human comfort (Vernon, 1932). Globe thermometers are one of the tools scientists use to measure mean radiant heat and are a good indicator of thermal comfort. It is highly recommended to do this activity with an adult as there are a few steps that require adult supervision and assistance. Alternatively, you can prefabricate some of supplies, i.e., pre-drill holes in the ping-pong balls.

Instructions for this activity were inspired by Peter Yost’s experiment (Yost, 2018).

Curriculum Connections:

Grade 5 - 8 – Biology, Physics, Social Science, and Earth and Space Sciences  

This activity can be paired with our Neighbourhood Temperature Investigation activity. Get outside and see how hot your block is!

Objectives

  • Build a globe thermometer

  • Use your new thermometer for temperature explorations in indoor and outdoor environments

  • Know that globe thermometers are a tool scientists use to measure thermal comfort and mean radiant temperatures

  • Understand that scientists have a variety of tools that measure different temperatures, e.g., air temperature, radiant temperature, etc., resulting from different heat sources

Materials

  • Ping-pong ball, or table tennis ball (plastic/acrylic)  

  • Flat black spray paint

  • Newspaper or other scratch paper

  • Outdoor thermometer (not digital)

  • Scissors (to cut off the backing if applicable to the thermometer you have)

  • Drill (you need to make a hole in the ping-pong ball to get the bulb through) 

  • Tape

Key Questions

  • What does your globe thermometer measure?
  • How long does it take your temperature reading to even out? What about when you go from a really hot area to a cooler area?
  • Compare the temperature readings you observe between your globe thermometer and a conventional thermometer. How much do the temperature readings differ in the same location? What about on a really windy day? What about in the shade of a tree? What about on a city sidewalk?
  • Does the temperature change when you put it closer to a building?

What To Do

  1. Tape the thermometer to the backing to make sure it doesn’t move around.
  2. Take your outdoor thermometer and chop off the bottom plastic backing to expose the bottom of the thermometer and the bulb.
  3. Drill a hole in your ping-pong ball. It should be big enough for the bulb of your thermometer to get through.
  4. Put the bulb of your thermometer into the ping-pong ball. Make sure that it is in the middle of the hole.
  5. Seal the bottom of the ball with tape to secure the ping-pong ball.
  6. Place the thermometer onto your newspaper or scratch paper outside.

7. Spray paint the ball flat black and let it dry for one hour. Make sure to get all of the sides of the ball.

Your thermometer is ready to be used! When you want to take a temperature reading, make sure to allow for at least 5 minutes to give your thermometer time to give an accurate reading.

Citations:
1. Vernon, H. M. (1932). The measurement of radiant heat in relation to human comfort. J. Industr. Hyg. 14, 95.Google Scholar 

 2. Yost, Peter. (Apr, 2018). Understanding and Measuring Mean Radiant Temperature. Green Building Advisor. Accessed October, 2022. Link

Other Resources

The activity supports and is aligned with the UN SDG’s Good Health and Well-being and Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Thank you to our supporters

Science Spotlights and their companion activities are a GenAction initiative, presented by Odlum Brown, and supported by the Government of Canada.

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