Making a Liquid‑in‑Glass Thermometer

The simulation shows how a red‑dyed alcohol thermometer is constructed. Ice and boiling water are used to set the 0 °C and 100 °C marks, the distance between them is divided into 100 equal divisions, and the narrow glass bore lets the liquid expand upward as it warms.

Students advance through the building steps with the numbered buttons and control the flame with the large Fire button (or the F key). As the candle or burner heats the bulb, the alcohol molecules vibrate faster and the liquid column rises, allowing the user to read temperatures such as the boiling point of water or methanol.

By observing the linear rise of the liquid with temperature, learners connect thermal expansion to temperature measurement, practice calibration of a measuring device, and see a practical example of heat transfer in fluids.