LAB PHYSIOLOGY REPORT

MONITORING BODY TEMPERATURE

Angel (0000000559)
Jane Juandi (00000006285)
Mutia Ramaida Pulungan (00000007507)
Analia Levina (00000012302)
Anastasia Jessica Christi (00000015509)
Andy William (00000018867)
Aselia Pokatong (00000015512)
Aurellia (00000016947)
Benedictus Stefanus (00000012202)
Brandon Kovith (00000019214)
Bunga Alvita A. (00000015502)
Daniel Atnil (00000015666)
Faculty of Medicine
Universitas Pelita Harapan
Batch 2015

Experiment 1
A. Measure the mouth temperature
Question 1: What is the difference between maximum thermometer and laboratory
thermometer?
Answer:
Observational
Aspects
Components

Maximum Thermometer

Advantages

Disadvantages

Accuracy
Observational
Methods

Indicator used is
normally mercury
Contains
reservoir/ barrier
to
indicate
temperature
Accurate
in
reading
temperature
Easier to observe

Not sensitive to
temperature
changes
Have a narrower
range for reading
temperature
0,05oC
Needs to be swing
until the mercury
indicator is below
the minimum
range
Has to wait for
sometime while in
contact with the
subject observed
Results can be
read without direct
contact with the
subject observed

Laboratory
Thermometer
Indicator used is
normally colored
ethanol
Does not contain
reservoir

Sensitive
to
temperature
changes
Have
a
wider
range for reading
temperature
Inaccurate
in
reading
temperature
(indicator quickly
changes)
Harder to observe
0,5oC
Can
be
used
directly
Only need to wait
for a short period
of time while in
contact with the
subject observed
Results have to be
read with direct
contact with the
subject observed

Question 2:
a. Are the results of 4 and 5 same?
Answer:
Results from experiment A.4: 36.5 oC
Results from experiment A.5: 36.75 oC
The results of 4 and 5 are slightly different by 0.25 oC. This slight difference is caused
by the mechanisms of heat transfer. There are 4 types of heat transfer: conduction,
convection, radiation and evaporation. Conduction needs direct contact between two
objects for heat transfer to occur. Convection needs air/fluid flow between two
objects for heat transfer to occur. Radiation needs electromagnetic waves from
internal body without any medium involved. Evaporation needs the transformation of
liquid to vapor for heat transfer to occur.
The difference in results 4 and 5 occurs because the amount of heat transfer through
conduction is different. The heat transfer via conduction from the body to the
thermometer is not yet optimum therefore the thermometer has not yet measure the
body temperature precisely.
b. Is it enough to measure the mouth temperature using maximum thermometer only
within 3 minutes?
Answer:
Seeing the slight difference between the results in 4 and 5, the time to measure body
temperature accurately, in this case 3 minutes is quite reliable, as there is already
0.25 oC difference in the temperature.
c.How about 6 minutes?
Answer:
In terms of conduction, the longer period of direct contact between two objects,
results in more slight difference in the temperature measured until the two objects
will have the same temperature. However, in this experiment, due to the heat gain
mechanisms occuring in our body through metabolism, muscle contraction, etc; the
longer period of direct contact results in the same temperature between the
thermometer and our body. This is the period of time for the thermometer to
measure the body temperature. Based on this theory, 6 minutes is enough for the
thermometer to measure the body temperature, because if the temperature is

measured more than 6 minutes, the temperature in the thermometer will still be the
same as the body temperature.

B. The effect of breathing through mouth

Question 3: Is the result different with the result in A.5?
Answer:
Results from experiment A.5: 36,75oC
Results from experiment B.4: 37,00oC
There is a slight difference by 0,25oC between those experiments. This can be
caused by heat transfer through conduction between body and thermometer,
convection in the 2 minutes earlier, where the air inspired and expired from the
mouth, as well as evaporation through breathing from the mouth. These cause the
area around the mouth to experience heat loss. Therefore, during the 6 minute
observation time, the body has to return the temperature loss due to heat loss and
then increase the temperature measured by the thermometer. Other reasons are the
increase in heat loss means increase in heat gain mechanisms, resulting in changes
of the body temperature. Also, the observed subject activities during the
measurement may result in changes in the body temeperature, whether the subject
is speaking or walking around.

C. The effect of washing the mouth using ice water

Question 4: Does the result differ with the result in A and B? Explain the cause of the
differences!
Answer:
Result from experiment C: 36.35 oC
The result from experiment C is different from the results in both experiments A and
B. This is due to the heat transfer through conduction and convection from the body
to the ice water which results in heat loss of the subjects body. Therefore, after
washing the mouth with ice water, the temperature measured is lower than the
normal mouth temperature. As a compensation, the body must return the
temperatures homeostasis as well as increasing the temperature of the
thermometer.
The temperature after washing the mouth with ice water (experiment C) is different
from the normal mouth temperature (experiment A) because respiration through
mouth involves more evaporation through the expired air, rather than convection.

This is caused by the lesser temperature difference with the expired air by ventilation
as the medium of convection; resulting in lower convection process than
evaporation. On the other hand, washing the mouth with ice water results in higher
temperature difference with the ice water as the medium of convection. Therefore,
the convection is higher.

The temperature after washing the mouth with ice water (experiment C) is different
from the temperature from breathing through mouth (experiment B) because the heat
loss due to convection using the ice water washed in the mouth is higher therefore
the temperature after washing the mouth with ice water will be lower. While the
temperature from breathing through mouth is higher because more evaporation is
involved in breathing through mouth rather than convection and conduction which
results in higher temperature than the temperature after washing the mouth with ice
water.

Experiment 2
A.

Measure the axilla and antecubital temperature

Axilla Temperature

36.55oC

Antecubital
Temperature

36.15oC

Question 5 :
1. What do you expect? Explain the difference if it is any!
Answer :
We expected that the temperature measured by the thermometer in the
antecubital region will be lower than the temperature measured by the thermometer
in the axillar region. As the result was just as our expectation, in which that the
temperature measured by the thermometer in the antecubital region was lower with
the value of 36.15 oC while the temperature measured by the thermometer in the
axillar region was lower with the value of 36.55 oC. We expect the main cause of the
temperature difference is caused by the distance and the bigger axillary artery. The
axillar region is closer than the antecubital region. As some of the heat is transferred
by the blood through the arteries, it is possible for some of the heat loss occured
during the travel of the blood from the axillar region to the antecubital region through
the brachial artery. The artery which flows through the axillar region is the axillary

artery which is bigger in size rather than the arteries flowing through the antecubital
region. The axillary artery which is bigger in size allows blood to flow faster which
means that the heat loss is also bigger.
2. Where is the location to monitor the body temperature which is approximately
similar to the core temperature? Please give an explanation!
Answer :
The location to monitor the body temperature which is approximately similar to
the core temperature is the axillar region. The axillar region is much closer to the
core temperature mainly caused by the location in which it is closer to the thorax. As
the center of heat production is the thorax and abdomen, the closer location can
cause the higher temperature measurement.

B. The effect of exercise on axilla temperature

Before Exercise

36.55oC

After Exercise

37.3oC

Question 6 :
1. What do you expect? Explain the difference if it is any
Answer :
We expected the effect of exercise on axilla temperature is that the value of
the measurement will rise from the normal temperature. As for the result, the value of
the axilla temperature after exercise was 37.3 oC, which was higher than the value of
the normal axilla temperature which was 36.8 oC. The possible cause of the
difference made is mainly caused by the rise of metabolic rate. As we do strenuous
exercise, the body will need faster metabolism to accommodate the bodys cellular
need for energy. For the increase in metabolic rate, the body will need to generate
heat so that the metabolic reaction can occur faster. This causes the overall increase
in the core temperature, later causing the increase in axillar temperature as well
because of the blood carrying the heat from the core to the extremities.

Experiment 3 (Measuring The Relative Humidity)

Question 1 :
1. Observe the temperature which is indicated by the wet bulb thermometer
and the dry bulb thermometer.
Answer :
Dry Bulb

25.5oC

Wet Bulb

20oC

HUMIDITY

52%

Question 2 :
2. Plot the difference to the psychrometric chart and read the relative
humidity.
Answer :
(Picture has been attached)
How we get the Relative Humidity value :
1. The dry bulb and wet bulb temperature was taken by laboratory
thermometers (the wet bulbs thermometer was banded with the wet cloth).
2. Plot the dry bulb temperature in the x-axis. Since the dry bulb temperature
was 25.5oC, so plot the 25.5oC in the x-axis.
3. Plot the wet bulb temperature in the curved line. Since the wet bulb
temperature was 20oC, so plot the 20oC in the curved line.
4. Put the connecting line between the dry bulb and the wet bulb
temperature.
5. Trace the dry bulb temperature horizontally and trace the wet bulb
temperature diagonally (diagonal blue line).
6. Find the meetpoint between horizontal line dry bulb temperature and
diagonal line wet bulb temperature.
7. The meetpoint between horizontal line dry bulb temperature and diagonal
line wet bulb temperature was defined as relative humidity.

Question 3 :
3. What do you expect if this room have no air conditioner? Explain your
opinion!
Answer :
If the temperature is taken inside the same room without air conditioner (AC),
the temperature will increase and if the temperature increases, the relative humidity
will also increase. If we plot it in the psychrometric graph, the dry bulb temperature
will move to the right (hotter) and the wet bulb temperature will move upward.
When the AC is turn off, the water vapor containing air inside the room will no
condense to form water droplet when they meet in contact with the evaporator coil of
the AC, so the humidity will be higher than when the AC is turned on.