I-thermometer iyithuluzi elenzelwe ukukala izinga lokushisa . Kunezinhlobo eziningi zama-thermometer, kodwa zonke zisebenza ngesimiso esifanayo. Ngokuvamile, sisebenzisa izinto ezishintsha ngokushisa. Uma izinga lokushisa lento lishintsha, ukuma nosayizi wayo nakho kuyashintsha. Ama-thermometer amaningi asebenzisa izinto ezikhula noma ezincipha ngokushintsha kwezinga lokushisa.
Ithemitha okuyinto evame ukusetshenziswa namuhla equkethe ipayipi lengilazi, lapho kukhona khona utshwala noma 
i-mercury phakathi nethubhu. Uma shu Njengoba izinga lokushisa likhuphuka, utshwala noma i-mercury esitsheni iyakhula, ikhulisa ubude bekholomu yotshwala noma ye-mercury. Ngokuphambene nalokho, njengoba izinga lokushisa lincipha, ubude bekholomu yotshwala noma ye-mercury buyancipha. Ngaphandle kwethubhu yengilazi kunezinombolo ezimele isikali se-thermometer. Inombolo ekhonjiswe ngenhla kwekholomu yotshwala noma ye-mercury ikhombisa izinga lokushisa lento elinganiswayo.
Olunye uhlobo lwe-thermometer olusetshenziswa kakhulu yilolo olusebenzisa umucu we-bimetallic (izinsimbi ezimbili ezahlukene ezinamazinga ahlukene okunwebeka). Njengoba izinga lokushisa likhuphuka, insimbi eyodwa inwebeka kakhulu kunenye, okubangela ukuthi umucu ugobe. Ngokuvamile, umucu we-bimetallic umise okwe-spiral, onengxenye eyodwa eqondile kanti enye ixhunywe ku-scale pointer. Njengoba izinga lokushisa lishintsha, i-pointer iyajikeleza. Ama-Thermometer asebenzisa imicu ye-bimetallic avame ukusetshenziswa njenge-air thermometer ejwayelekile, ama-thermometer egumbi, ama-thermometer e-oven, njalo njalo.
Ama-thermometer anembe kakhulu, noma anembe kakhulu, ngokuvamile asebenzisa izakhiwo zikagesi zento. Isibonelo, i-thermometer yokumelana ilinganisa ushintsho ekumelaneni kukagesi kwekhoyili encane yocingo noma isilinda sekhabhoni noma ikristalu le-germanium. Ngenxa yokuthi ukumelana kukagesi ngokuvamile kungalinganiswa ngokunembile, ama-thermometer okumelana angalinganisa izinga lokushisa ngokunembile kune-thermometer evamile.
