The Pyrometer
How it works • thermometric substance • advantages & disadvantages
1. What a Pyrometer Is
A pyrometer is a non-contact temperature-measuring instrument. It determines the temperature of an
object by detecting the thermal radiation (infrared or visible light) that object emits — without ever touching
it. This sets it apart from contact thermometers such as mercury-in-glass thermometers or thermocouples,
which must physically touch the substance being measured.
The word pyrometer comes from the Greek pyr (fire) and meter (to measure). It was originally used for instruments
that measured temperatures above incandescence — hot enough for an object to visibly glow.
2. The Thermometric Substance / Property
Every temperature-measuring device relies on a thermometric property: a physical quantity that changes
in a measurable, predictable way with temperature. In a mercury thermometer, that property is the
expansion of liquid mercury. In a pyrometer, it isn't a physical substance at all — it is electromagnetic
radiation (thermal/heat energy) emitted by the hot object itself.
This works because every object above absolute zero radiates thermal energy, and both the intensity and
the peak wavelength of that radiation depend directly on the object's temperature. This relationship is
described by two key physics laws:
● Stefan–Boltzmann Law: total radiated energy increases with the fourth power of absolute
temperature.
● Planck's Law (Wien's Displacement): as temperature rises, the peak wavelength of emitted radiation
shifts to shorter wavelengths — which is why very hot metal glows red, then orange, then white as it
heats further.
3. How It Works
● The object being measured emits thermal radiation.
● A lens or mirror in the pyrometer focuses this radiation onto a detector (or, in older optical types, onto
the observer's eye).
● The detector converts radiation intensity into an electrical signal — or, in optical types, the observer
compares brightness directly.
● The signal or visual match is translated into a temperature reading, calibrated against known reference
points.
Two Main Types
Optical (disappearing The operator views the hot object through the instrument and
filament) pyrometer adjusts current through a filament until it visually "disappears"
against the object's glow. The current required correlates to
temperature.
Radiation pyrometer Uses a thermopile, photodiode, or similar detector to
automatically measure total radiated energy, giving a direct
electronic reading.
4. Advantages
● No contact needed — ideal for extremely hot objects (molten metal, furnaces) that would damage or
melt a contact thermometer.
● Measures very high temperatures, into the thousands of °C, where other thermometers fail.
● Fast response — no lag from heat needing to conduct into a sensor.
● Doesn't disturb the object — no heat is drawn away from the target during measurement.
● Can measure moving or inaccessible objects — e.g. rotating parts, or objects behind glass or in a
vacuum.
5. Disadvantages
● Accuracy depends on emissivity — different materials radiate differently at the same temperature,
so readings need per-material calibration or correction.
● Affected by the surrounding environment — reflected radiation from other hot sources, dust, smoke,
or steam can distort readings.
● Less precise at lower temperatures — radiation intensity is low in everyday temperature ranges.
● Requires a clear line of sight to the object.
● Generally more expensive and often needs more skill to use and calibrate correctly than simple
contact thermometers.
6. Quick Reference
Aspect Pyrometer
Contact required? No
Thermometric property Emitted thermal/electromagnetic radiation
Governing laws Stefan–Boltzmann Law, Planck's Law
Best for Very high, moving, or inaccessible temperatures
Main weakness Emissivity & environmental interference
Further reading: Pyrometry by Chas. R. Darling (Project Gutenberg, free public-domain ebook) covers the historical
development of fixed points and calibration methods in much greater depth.