††††A thermostat is a device that regulates temperature levels automatically. Many people have them in their homes to control the temperature of an oven or the central heating. They are also used in car engines.
Most thermostats contain a bimetallic strip which senses the temperature. This strip is made of two metals firmly welded together. The strip bends upon heating because one of the metals expands more than the other. The bent strip is used to operate a switch.
One of the earliest known thermostats was made in 1660 by Cornelius Drebbell, a Dutchman living in London. The device was used to regulate a furnace which heated an incubator.
