Pirani gage

Pirani gage [pə′rän·ē ‚gāj]

(physics)

A thermal conductivity gage (where the thermal conductivity of a gas heated by a hot wire varies with pressure) connected to a Wheatstone bridge to measure the resistance of the hot wire, thus the gas pressure; used to measure pressure from 1 to 10^-3mmHg (133.32 to 0.13332 pascals).

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Pirani gage

A type of instrument used to measure vacuum by utilizing a resistance change due to a temperature change in a filament. This fine-wire filament, one of the four electrical resistances forming a Wheatstone bridge circuit, is exposed to the vacuum to be measured. Electric current heats the wire; the surrounding gas (in the vacuum) conducts heat away from the wire. At a stable vacuum, the wire quickly reaches equilibrium temperature. If the pressure rises, the gas carries away more heat, and the temperature of the wire decreases. Since the resistance of the filament is a function of temperature, the electrical balance of the Wheatstone bridge is changed. Pressure measurement range of this type of gage is usually 1 to 10^-4 torr (10² to 10^-2 pascals). See Vacuum measurement