Applications of Thermal Equilibrium
Applications of Thermal Equilibrium
Oven
- When food such as meat or cake is put in the oven, the heat of the oven is transferred into the food.
- This process will continue until the food is in thermal equilibrium with the air in the oven.
- This happen when the temperature of the food is equal to the temperature of the air in the oven.
Refrigerator
- When food is put in the refrigerator, the heat from the food is transferred into the air of the refrigerator.
- This process is continued until the temperature of the food equal to the temperature of the air in the refrigerator, when thermal equilibrium is reached between the food and the refrigerator.
Thermometer
- Thermometer is placed in contact with the patient’s body.
- If both the body temperature of the patient and that of the mercury (or alcohol) in the clinical thermometer have reached thermal equilibrium, then the temperature of the thermometer is the same as the body temperature, hence the reading of the thermometer shows the body temperature of the patient.
