3. Sensitivity

Sensor sensitivity is an essential quality. However, over-sensitivity can mask the main pattern of the phenomenon under study by over-amplifying non-representative details. It's better to begin a study with a low-sensitivity sensor and then refine the observation, rather than the other way round. What's more, high-sensitivity sensors are expensive and difficult to install.

It's important to choose the right sensor for the temperature in question, as its sensitivity is rarely constant over a wide temperature range. The sensor is only the first link in the measurement chain, which aims to amplify the signal delivered by the sensor. Mechanical or electronic amplification easily enables gains of 10 ⁵ and more. The sensitivity of the complete chain is the product of the sensor sensitivity and the various...