Mfundo yathermocouplekuyeza kutentha kumadalira mphamvu yamagetsi. Polumikiza olekanitsa awiri kapena oyendetsa semiconductors kuti atsekeke, pomwe kutentha pamipando iwiri ndikosiyana, kuthekera kwamagetsi kumapangika. Chodabwitsa ichi chimatchedwa pyroelectric effect, yomwe imadziwikanso kuti Seebeck.
Mphamvu zamagetsi zomwe zimapangidwa mozungulira zimapangidwa ndi mitundu iwiri yamagetsi yamagetsi; kuthekera kwamagetsi ndi mphamvu yolumikizirana. Thermoelectric angathe kutanthauza mphamvu zamagetsi zopangidwa ndi malekezero awiri a conductor yemweyo chifukwa cha kutentha kosiyanasiyana. Makondakitala osiyanasiyana amakhala ndi ma elekitironi osiyanasiyana, motero amapanga mphamvu zamagetsi zosiyanasiyana. Zomwe mungalumikizane zimatanthawuza pamene oyendetsa awiri akumana.
Chifukwa kuchuluka kwawo kwamagetsi kumakhala kosiyana, kuchuluka kwa ma elekitironi kumachitika. Akafika pachimodzimodzi, kuthekera komwe kumapangidwa ndi omwe angalumikizidwe kumatengera zinthu za ma conductor awiri osiyanasiyana komanso kutentha kwa malo olumikizirana. Pakadali pano,magalasiomwe amagwiritsidwa ntchito padziko lonse lapansi ali ndi muyezo. Ma magalasi olamulidwa padziko lonse lapansi amagawidwa m'magawo asanu ndi atatu, omwe ndi B, R, S, K, N, E, J ndi T, omwe amatha kuyeza kutentha kochepa. Imayesa madigiri 270 Celsius pansi pa ziro, ndipo imatha kufika pa 1800 digiri Celsius.
Pakati pawo, B, R, ndi S ali mgulu la platinamu lamagalasi. Popeza platinamu ndi chitsulo chamtengo wapatali, amatchedwanso magalasi zamtengo wapatali zamtengo wapatali ndipo zotsalazo zimatchedwa magalasi zachitsulo zotsika mtengo. Pali mitundu iwiri ya zida za thermocouple, mtundu wamba ndi mtundu wa zida. Ma magalasi wamba nthawi zambiri amapangidwa ndi thermode, insulating chubu, manja osungira ndi bokosi lolumikizirana, pomwe zida zankhondo za thermocouple ndizophatikiza waya wa thermocouple, zida zotchinjiriza ndi manja osungira zitsulo pambuyo pa msonkhano, mutatha kukoka Kuphatikiza kolimba kopangidwa ndi kutambasula.
