Definition

1. Noun:
   • An instrument for measuring high temperatures: An optical pyrometer is a scientific device. It determines the temperature of a very hot object. It does this by analyzing the color of the visible light the object emits. It is used when physical contact with the object is impossible or undesirable.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The technician used an optical pyrometer to measure the temperature of the molten steel.
  • Optical pyrometers are essential for safely monitoring furnace temperatures.
  • By comparing the color through the viewfinder, the optical pyrometer provided an accurate temperature reading.

Advanced Usage

• "Disappearing-filament optical pyrometer": A specific, common type of optical pyrometer. The user adjusts a calibrated lamp's filament until its brightness matches and "disappears" against the background of the hot object. The adjustment setting correlates to the temperature.
  • For precise laboratory measurements, a disappearing-filament optical pyrometer is often employed.

Variants and Related Words

• Pyrometer (n): A broader category of non-contact thermometers for measuring high temperatures. An optical pyrometer is a specific type of pyrometer.
• Radiation pyrometer (n): A more general term for pyrometers that measure temperature by detecting thermal radiation, which includes optical pyrometers.
• Thermometer (n): A general instrument for measuring temperature. An optical pyrometer is a specialized type of thermometer for very high temperatures.

Synonyms

• Disappearing-filament pyrometer: A direct synonym for the most common type of optical pyrometer.
• Brightness pyrometer: Another technical term often used interchangeably with optical pyrometer.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Non-contact temperature measurement: The fundamental principle behind the optical pyrometer's operation.
• Color temperature: The concept that the color of light emitted by an object is directly related to its temperature, which is the principle the optical pyrometer utilizes.

Noun

1. a pyrometer that uses the color of the light emitted by a hot object