Thermoelectric phenomena involve three effects - the Seebeck effect, Thompson effect, and Peltier effect - that occur when electrically conductive materials experience temperature gradients. The Seebeck effect, discovered by Thomas Seebeck in 1821 using thermocouples, produces a voltage when two different metals are joined together with a temperature difference between the junctions. The Peltier effect explains voltage from heat absorbed or emitted at a metal junction, while the Thompson effect explains voltage from temperature gradients within wires. Proper exploitation of the Seebeck effect for temperature measurement requires combining two dissimilar metals to form a thermocouple circuit.