Mondo Knows Facts

Two metals in a loop make a thermometer

Thomas Seebeck found in 1821 that a temperature difference between junctions drives a small voltage around the circuit Joining two different metals at one point and heating that junction produces a voltage proportional to the temperature difference from the other junction. The effect needs no power and works over enormous ranges, so thermocouples monitor furnaces, engines and kilns. Industrial versions use standardised pairs such as type K, whose output is about 41 microvolts per degree Celsius. It sits in Mondo's technology collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

Britannica

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Tags: sensors, temperature, thermocouples

Two metals in a loop make a thermometer: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?
Thomas Seebeck found in 1821 that a temperature difference between junctions drives a small voltage around the circuit. The figure is taken from Britannica, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a technology fact?
Yes. It sits on the Technology shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?
The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.