Thermistor (NTC 10k)
A resistor whose value changes with temperature; read it with a divider.
How it works
A thermistor is a resistor whose resistance changes a lot with temperature. The common NTC type drops in resistance as it warms. It's tiny, cheap, and fast — the temperature sensor inside many appliances.
Pair it with a fixed 10kΩ resistor to make a voltage divider, read the midpoint with analogRead, work out the thermistor's resistance, and convert to temperature with the Beta (or Steinhart–Hart) equation.
Pins
- Leg 1
- To +5V (with a 10kΩ from the junction to GND).
- Leg 2
- To the analog pin / divider junction.
Ratings
- Typical
- 10 kΩ at 25°C (NTC)
- Beta
- ~3950 K (check the datasheet)
Tips
- Use a 10kΩ divider resistor to match a 10k thermistor.
- Put the real Beta value from your part's datasheet into the code.