1. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of particles in a sample of matter. Thermometers are devices used to define and measure temperature.
2. Thermometers work by exploiting a physical property, like length or resistance, that changes uniformly with temperature. They require fixed points like freezing and boiling points to define a temperature scale.
3. Common thermometers include liquid-in-glass, bimetallic, resistance, and thermoelectric types. Each exploits a different temperature-sensitive physical property and has advantages like accuracy, range, or response time.