Editing Resistance thermometer (section)

{{Short description|Type of temperature sensor (thermometer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = January 2019}}
{{Use American English|date = January 2019}}
'''Resistance thermometers''', also called '''resistance temperature detectors''' ('''RTDs'''), are [[sensor]]s used to measure temperature. Many RTD elements consist of a length of fine wire wrapped around a heat-resistant ceramic or glass core but other constructions are also used. The RTD wire is a pure material, typically [[platinum]] (Pt), [[nickel]] (Ni), or [[copper]] (Cu). The material has an accurate resistance/temperature relationship which is used to provide an indication of temperature. As RTD elements are fragile, they are often housed in protective probes.

RTDs, which have higher accuracy and [[repeatability]],{{Efn|Consistency of repeatitive measurement under influence of the surroundings over a long period of time}} are slowly replacing [[thermocouple]]s in industrial applications below 600&nbsp;°[[Celsius|C]].<ref name=sensortech>{{Citation| title = Sensor Technology Series: Biomedical Sensors |isbn = 9781606500569| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=7cI83YOIUTkC | access-date = 2009-09-18|last1 = Jones|first1 = Deric P.|year = 2010| publisher=Momentum Press }}</ref>