thermocouples: 0mv at 0C

Whey do all types of thermocouples output 0mv at 0C? ...was that a design
requirement when the T/C alloys were developed?

 

Ahhh...that whole ICE POINT reference thing ...duh
thx

 

They don't - they output 0mv when the two parts of the thermocouple are at
the same temperature. So if one end is at room temp, it will give 0 mv
when the other end is as well.

This isn't anything to do with the design - it's just how the underlying
physics of it works.