Hanging Galileo Thermometer

HOW TO READ GALILEO'S

Hang the thermometer from a secure location. The lowest temperature ball within the group at the top of the cylinder tells the current temperature.

WARNING: Keep away from children. Contains paraffin oil. In case of breakage and contact with liquid contents, wash hands with soap and water. Do not ingest liquid. In case of ingestion, wash mouth with water and call a physician or your local poison control center. Use protective gloves to clean up spilled liquid and broken glass.

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Galileo Galilei, the infinitely talented scientist and astronomer (and all round rebel of the 15th century), discovered the principle that offered us the first accurate reading of ambient temperature. Galileo’s Thermometer, while not technically created by himself (it was created by scientists in his honour), demonstrates his discovery of the principle on which this thermometer is based - that the density of a liquid changes as temperature changes.

This beautiful glass sealed cylinder contains a paraffin liquid that suspends colourful hand-blown glass baubles which are carefully weighted to different volumes. Attached to each of the baubles is a metal tag with the correlating temperature.

The theory behind the weather gauge suggests that as ambient temperature changes so does the temperature of the paraffin liquid within the cylinder. This temperature has an effect on the density of the liquid contained within the carefully weighted glass baubles, as each bauble is weighted differently they sink or float at different ranges. Observing the bauble nearest to the centre of the cylinder provides the accurate ambient temperature. If there are no baubles in the centre, an average reading of both the top and bottom closest bauble will provide the temperature.