CALORIMETER

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This is a device for measuring the quantity of heat released by a chemical or physical reaction. They are used in chemistry to determine heat of reaction, and in medical work to determine the quantity of ultrasonic radiation delivered by a particular ultrasonic therapy or diagnostic set.

In this ultrasonic example it takes the form of an insulated box containing a fluid which absorbs ultrasonic energy and converts it into heat. The internal structure of the box provides a multiple reflection path for the ultrasonic beam so that it passes many times through the absorbing medium (usually an oil) until the energy is fully absorbed. The ultrasonic transducer is applied to a thin plastic or glass window into the chamber and the device is calibrated by an electric heater and stirrer to compare the heat generated by the ultrasonic beam over a period of a few minutes to that generated by a known quantity of electrical energy. Such devices would normally be found in the medical physics department.