Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hey its me again(:

If your read my previous post,this next question is about that same experiment. If I used two different thermometers to meausre the tempertuares would that affect my grade because I did not control that feature or should I explain that I used two different thermometers because the first one started working less efficiently after the first trial of the 5 trials im conducting(each trial has 5 tests) and I used a different one for the other 4??
Thanks agin!:)

Egypt123,

Equipment nearly always breaks down during an experiment if it runs an extended time. After the equipment is replaced or repaired, it needs to be checked to see that it gives the same result as the older one. Sometimes, the older equipment has failed in a way that prevents you checking the old and new against one another. In this case, you need to determine that both pieces of equipment give the "right" result.

Did you check the accuracy of your first thermometer? If yes, then you just check the second one in the same way. If they both passed the check, then they're both accurate. If you didn't check your first thermometer, then how could you know that it was right?

Perhaps you just relied on the manufacturer's claim about the accuracy. In that case. his claim is your check. In a critical experiment, one usually doesn't just rely on such a claim.

Good luck, WW

The first thermometer I used was one that measured in celsius and after conducting the 5 tests for the temperature at 40 degrees celsius, I used the other thermometer that I used for the rest of the experiment to see if it would measure the temperature at 40 degrees celsius too and it did. The first thermometer worked,however, it was a challenge to get it to meause anything below 40 degrees celsius, because it usually gave me a L (too low of a temp) and thats why I used the other thermometer that also meausred temps using the same units(celsius) and checked to see if it measured accurately like the previous thermometer and they both worked and meausred the same temps;the second thermometer was just fatser,more efficient,and it could measure lower temperatures without difficulty.
Is that okay??
Thanks (:

Egypt123,

Yes, it seems that you did an adequate check on your thermometers.

WW