Sensitivity (敏感度) and response time (反應時間) are two entirely different quantities and are not related to each other.
Q: 點解幼細d會敏感d?
In a liquid-in-glass type of thermometer, sensitivity is the change of liquid volume, or the corresponding change of the length of the liquid thread along the stem of the thermometer, per unit (degree C) rise of temperature. A higher sensitivity indicates a greater change of liquid thread length for one degree change in temperature. This can be achieved by narrowing the glass stem. Thus for the same volume change of liquid, thermometer with a narrow stem enables the liquid thread to rise more than thermometer with a wider stem.
For example, if a thermometer, the liquid thread rises 5 mm when the temperature rises 1 degree C. Assuming the markings on the glass stem are of 1 mm spacing, then because 5 mm indicates a temperature rise of 1 deg.C, 1 mm would indicate a temperature rise of 0.2 deg.C.
In case the stem is made narrower so that the thread could rise 10 mm for 1 deg.C rise in temperature, this makes 1 mm on the thermometer indicates 0.1 deg.C rise in temperature. This thermometer thus has a higher sensitivity than the other one because it can be read down to 0.1 deg.C change of temperature.
Note that the thickness of the glass bulb doesn't affect the sensitivity, which is only dependent on the narrowness of the glass stem.
Q: 同埋反應時間..點解薄d會反應快d?
The answer is obvious. The liquid in the thermometer has to be heated in order to expand. A thin glass bulb enables the liquid to receive heat more rapidly. The time needed for the liquid to expand therefore shortened (quick response).
Hence, a thermometer with narrow stem and thick glass bulb has good senstivity but slow response.
On the other hand, a thermometer with wide glass stem and thin glass bulb has low sensitivty but good repsonse.
A thermometer with narrow stem and thin glass bulb is the best, with both good senstitivty and response time.