Similarities
1. Working principle of both the thermometer is same.
2. Both are used to measure temperature.
3. Both have a thick walled glass tube enclosing a fine uniform bore capillary tube.
4. Mercury is used in both thermometers to measure temperature.
5. Both have Celsius and Fahrenheit markings.
Differences:
6. Laboratory thermometer is used to measure temperature of different objects in factories and laboratory where as clinical thermometer is used to measure the temperature of human beings only.
7. Generally, laboratory thermometer has temperature range from −10℃ to 110℃ where as clinical thermometer has temperature range from 35℃ to 42℃.
8. Usually laboratory thermometer does not have any constriction where as clinical thermometer has the small constriction near the mercury bulb.
9. Laboratory thermometer has to be kept upright while taking the reading where as clinical thermometer can be tilted while taking reading.
