Smartphone Visualization of Thermal Phenomena with Thermal Imaging Accessories

Abstract

Smartphone thermal cameras can be used to observe heat transfer or thermal patterns in crystallization, evaporation, mixing of liquids, and chemical reactions. The experiments described in this paper demonstrate that IR imaging can provide students with rich learning and exploring opportunities that would otherwise be infeasible or too time-consuming. The precision and sensitivity of smartphone thermal cameras are sufficient for use in chemistry education. A smartphone thermal imaging accessory is worth introducing into the teaching laboratory.