Testing the thermometer

In this section, we will test out how the IR sensor works as a thermometer by measuring the temperature of a human body. It seems that different body parts will get you slightly different temperature measurements. You should do a number of tests by measuring the body temperature from different parts, such as the forehead and the earlobe of a person. Remember that the distance between the sensor and the skin should be between 2 and 5 centimeters, although you should try out different distances and see what happens.

Before testing the thermometer, make sure that the skin is dry, clean, and unobstructed. In addition, confirm that the person has not been exposed to high heat, such as being out on a hot and sunny day, because this will change your measurements. If you are measuring skin temperature with the thermometer, make sure that the person is out of direct sunlight or you will get incorrect readings.

Medical studies indicate that the average skin surface...