E.g. how to turn a thermal gradient into an electric potential difference? (Best without going through mechanical energy)
2007-06-19 08:45:01 · 4 answers · asked by jarynth2 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
There are thermoelectric devices specifically designed to do this. It's more common to run them in reverse, though. That is, you put current through it and one side gets hot and one side gets cold. That's how those car refrigerators work without moving parts. Pick one up for $40 and take the element out to experiment. Heat one side, and remove the heat with a heat sink and/or fan from the other side (this is critical) and, viola, you get voltage.
2007-06-19 10:50:07 · answer #1 · answered by Dr. R 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A thermocouple. Press sheets of dissimilar metals together so that they form a tight junction. Solder a wire to the back of each and connect the wires through an external circuit to a device. When you warm or cool the junction, current will flow in opposite directions through the external circuit.
2007-06-19 08:50:40 · answer #2 · answered by steve_geo1 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
place two different metals in close contact with each other and join them with a wire running from the exterior of each piece, a current will flow, this a thermocouple.
2007-06-25 08:23:24 · answer #3 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A thermocouple or a Peltier device.
2007-06-19 08:51:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋