Question

Robert is instructed in a lab experiment to first record the ambient temperature of the room. To do this, he holds the thermometer under a bright light to accurately read it. He then reads and records the data as 33°C. What error, if any, and effect occurred when performing this lab step?

A) The actual temperature of the room is 33°C. Robert performed the steps accurately.
Eliminate
B) The actual temperature of the room is lower than 33°C. Robert misread the thermometer.
C) The actual room temperature is lower than 33°C. The added heat from the light caused the temperature to be too high.
D) The actual temperature of the room is higher than 33°C. Robert should have used the Fahrenheit scale, which would have registered higher.

Answer 1

The correct answer is letter C, the actual room temperature is lower than 33°C. The added heat from the light caused the temperature to be too high.

Light is a form of energy that emits heat as its by-product. The thermometer does not have the ability to distinguish which kind of temperature it's getting, that's why it reads the whole environment as a whole. This was the error that Robert made in this situation.