A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. mercury has a liquid form at room temperature and ­doesn't become a solid until it reaches -38 degrees Fahrenheit (-39 degrees Celsius). Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit used alcohol in thermometers in the 1700s. A small volume of silver color mercury liquid is used inside the mercury thermometer. BUT is mercury also used because the pressure of 760 mm of Hg is … Mercury thermometers can be used to determine body, liquid, and vapor temperature. Log in. To further increase its boiling point, mercury is often sealed with an inert gas, such as nitrogen. Like all substances, mercury linearly expands as temperature increases. … It is a better choice to measure … However, if something as rich and cheap as water can be so effective, why do we insist on using something as rare and expensive as mercury? Thermometers are a useful thing to have in your home. Even Galileo’s invention worked on the same principle. His device consisted of a tube filled with air whose end was submerged in a tiny bowl of water. Mercury is used in thermometers because it has high coefficient of expansion. Many older thermometers contained mercury. Mercury is a neurotoxin, and if you are exposed to it outside of its typical glass thermometer tube, it can cause you to go deaf, experience tremors, memory loss, and partial blindness, among other awful permanent side effects. One can also extend its freezing point by alloying it with thallium. This material constant is called the coefficient of expansion. read more. | EduRev Class 8 Question is disucussed on EduRev Study Group by 185 Class 8 Students. Compare that meager boiling point to mercury’s incredible 356.7ᵒC boiling point! This means that mercury in a sealed tube would rise at a much slower pace than alcohol, but it also means that mercury would fall equally slowly when the thermometer is removed from a pot filled with boiling water. There are a number of different model types, sizes, and specifications, but the general operating principle is about the same in all cases. That means Mercury expands or contracts with even a very small change in temperature. One could discern that the temperature is high when the material would radiate hues of blue and that the temperature is low when it would radiate hues of red. It also has a high boiling point which makes it very suitable to … Mankind learned about thermodynamic temperature centuries after the first thermometer was invented. Why mercury is used as a thermometric fluid ? This means that mercury thermometers cannot measure temperatures below -40ᵒC, a temperature not all that rare in science laboratories or a superconductor technology manufacturing industry. However, the amount of expansion per degree increase in temperature is different for every material. the bulb of a mercury-in-glass thermometer or the pyrometric sensor in an infrared thermometer) in which some change occurs with a change in temperature; and (2) some means of converting this change into a numerical value (e.g. Consequently, at first, thermometers portrayed temperatures. 1. Mercury and its compounds have the ability to cause severe neurological problems and other serious symptoms in humans when they are exposed to it. Why is mercury used in thermometers despite being the poorest conductor of heat? Why mercury is used as a thermometric fluid ? the visible scale that is marked on a mercury-in-glass thermometer or the digital readout on an infrared … Dec 20,2020 - Why mercury is used in thermometer? Since it is a metal, it has a stable coefficient of expansion hence it expands uniformly and noticeably for a slight change of temperature. A mercury thermometer is a tool used to measure temperature. However, unlike alcohol, mercury isn’t colorless, a property that forces manufacturers to add artificial dyes to alcohol to make it clearly visible. This transition wasn’t exactly cumbersome, since almost every mercury thermometer was manufactured by Fahrenheit himself. The mercury in mercury thermometers is poisonous if the thermometer breaks. It expands on providing heat to it. Graphene: The Material That’s Going To Change The Future. Unlike mercury, alcohol is much cheaper and not as ridiculously rare. The thermometer usually has a small reserve of liquid mercury in … What Is The Huntsman Spider? What is Quantum Entanglement: Explained in Simple Words, Thermoelectric Generator: Principle, Mechanism And Materials. Mercury boils at 674ᵒF (78.37ᵒC). Most metals are good conductors of heat and they are solids at room temperature. Mercury thermometer: AD 1714-1742. Why is mercury used in thermometer ? Get the answers you need, now! Many countries are now moving to phase out the use of mercury thermometers. However, the liquid he sealed wasn’t water, but alcohol. The boiling point of mercury is nearly 674.06 degree Fahrenheit so using it in college laboratory really doesn't converts the mercury to vapour it's non sticky.the property of mercury to not stick on glass is main reason to use it unlike water, droplets of mercury never stick on the glass walls of the thermometer. Sol: There are many reasons for using mercury as a thermometric liquid, here are listed a few: Mercury has high melting and boiling points making it a liquid over a broad range of temperature. mercury doesn't boil until 611 degrees Fahrenheit (357 degrees Celsius), and it doesn't stick to glass. The tube must be very narrow to minimise the amount of mercury in … You can use a thermometer to check if sugar is being melted or burned and if hot oil is ready for frying foods. Therefore, initially, thermometers defined temperatures. The substance expands and moves up the thermometer. Join now. The essential thermometers, in any case, weren't container or warmth measurers, anyway thermo-scopes, contraptions that basically … Still, despite their small flaws, mercury thermometers are regarded to be one of the most accurate thermometers available. However, alcohol is so sensitive that these changes cause the alcohol in the tube to behave almost turbulently. The other wire is can move along a threaded rod. We could have used a material that changes color when subjected to heat. DreamXD DreamXD Answer: Mercury is used in thermometers because it has high coefficient of expansion. Mercury thermometers will not be seen for much longer in people’s homes. Question 6. Alcohol expands rapidly when it heats up. This is how every sealed thermometer with liquid works. A small change in the temperature causes change in volume of a liquid. When the thermoscope touched a hot or cold surface, the air would expand or contract, causing the air-water interface to fluctuate. why is mercury used in thermometer. 1. Each thermometer contains about .5-1.5 grams of mercury. Because mercury is the only liquid metal and liquids expand more than solids on heating. It has lower freezing point and higher boiling point. Mercury powers itself, making it an attractive substance. It does not stick to the glass tube. You can then look at your thermometer, and you will have enough time to read the temperature it displays before the mercury goes back down again. Why Does Your Smartphone Lose Charge, Even When You Don’t Use It? The increase in volume is evident in solids, such as metallic railway tracks, rubber tires and fluids like water, alcohol, mercury and halogen. How Did The Nintendo Game Duck Hunt Work? But the question is; What if we want to measure the temperature below -38.8 °C ? Furthermore I know that it doesn't stick to the sides of the thermometer. Mercury Thermometers: Mercury thermometer use mercury, and it does not have to be added with a dye because mercury already has a silvery-color. The main reason why mercury thermometers are being phased out is because of how dangerous they are when broken. But the maximum temperature measured by an alcohol thermometer is 78.5°C; hence this thermometer is suitable for measuring lower temperatures. But the main disadvantage of the mercury thermometer is mercury… The mercury will evaporate and can contaminate the surrounding air and become toxic to humans and wildlife. The first thermometers, however, weren’t thermos or heat measurers, but thermo-scopes, devices that merely signaled whether the temperature was high or low. However, if something as abundant and cheap as water works so well, why do we insist on snubbing it for something as extremely rare and expensive as mercury? | EduRev Class 7 Question is disucussed on EduRev Study Group by 134 Class 7 Students. One gram of mercury can contaminate a 20 acre lake, enough to cause a public advisory to be issued on the potential dangers of eating fish caught in that lake. This means you can subject the mercury in a thermometer to heat and it will react. The only trouble with alcohol as a measuring instrument, however, is that it reacts to changes in temperature too quickly. Faster results for body temperature measurement. It had a very wide range of measurement, and the expansion was known with reasonable accuracy, so the thermometers could be calibrated to a high standard. The first thermometers manufactured contained water but the fact that water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit led manufacturers to switch to mercury. These new mercury-thallium thermometers can now measure temperatures as low as -62ᵒC. Mercury may be found in fever, basal, scientific, industrial and cooking thermometers. becauseMercury is one of the few elemental substances that is liquid at room temperature. Hence, the slightest change in temperature is notable when it's used in a thermometer. Mercury is used in thermometers eventhough its a bad conductor of heat due to its really high sensitivity towards heat,mercury expands significantly even for a small rise in temperature for which other metals show no or relatively smaller change . In a mercury thermometer, a glass tube is filled with mercury and a standard temperature scale is marked. However, its value is almost six times less than that of alcohol. It's used in thermometers because it has high coefficie… But the mercury is linear temperature expansion can be observed. It is identified by its familiar silver metallic color. Source: quora.com. Also, it is not toxic. The other wire is can move along a threaded rod. How Are Prime Numbers Used In Cryptography? The urge to develop a device that solely responded to heat led Joseph Delmedigo, a student of Galileo’s, to invent the first sealed liquid-in-glass thermometer. Enamored with science ever since discovering a picture book about Saturn at the age of 7, he believes that what fundamentally fuels this passion is his curiosity and appetite for wonder. The advantages of using mercury in a thermometer are as follows: Mercury is a good conductor of heat. Here you will come to know the reason why alcohol is used in Thermometers. However, mercury is mildly toxic, and mercury has only been used in clinical thermometers if protected from breakage of the tube. hope this is correct. reshmasawnani reshmasawnani 14.05.2020 Science Secondary School Why is mercury used in thermometer ? Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. Your grandparents may have one in their medicine cabinet, or even your parents, but newly stocked bathrooms are much more likely to have a digital thermometer on hand. Mercury’s is about six times less that of alcohol. we respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously, Gravitational Lensing: What It Is And How It Is Helping Us Discover New Galaxies, What Exactly is Archimedes Principle: Explained in Simple Words, What is Evolution? Mercury thermometers have long been considered the most accurate liquid-filed types. Close-up of a mercury-filled maximum thermometer. most liquids freeze in temperatures like that. This is how every sealed thermometer with liquid works. When the temperature changes, the mercury expands and contracts, the temperature can then be read on the scale. Why Is Mercury Used In Thermometers? In principle, any substance whose properties visibly change with temperature can be used to measure temperature. Mercury thermometers are being phased out as the metal is toxic if the thermometer breaks. Why are we using Mercury in thermometer, reasons are followed:. A lab might be required to be sealed for hours if a mercury thermometer breaks, considering that inhaling mercury can cause health serious problems. Mercury is used in a thermometer because it has a lot of advantages. Why mercury is used in thermometer? Excess heat often causes the tires to bloat in summers. Glass thermometers can break and cause the person injury, and some contain mercury, which is poisonous; ones containing mercury, in particular, are no longer recommended. 1. 0 0. It consists of a bulb containing mercury attached to a glass tube of narrow diameter; the volume of mercury in the tube is much less than the volume in the bulb. Lastly, you do not need an external power source like a battery or electricity to run a mercury thermometer. A Simple and Brief Explanation, What is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: Explained in Simple Words. The reading would be effectively undisturbed, making the thermometer superiorly reliable. The role of a thermometer is an important one, and when used it home it can be the one diagnostic tool that tells us whether we’re sick or not. The mercury thermometer, long a fixture in household medicine cabinets and industrial settings, is going the way of the horse and buggy. Why Are There Stones Along Railway Tracks? The key thing with thermometers is that they must be accurate and also be able to detect a change in temperature to the smallest degree, and that’s why mercury was first used. However, Fahrenheit proposed a scale that was adopted by every manufacturer of mercury and eventually, every type of thermometer. The scale, which was slightly altered at a later date, now bears his name. How Big Is It and Does It Bite? Kelvin thermometers are usually electric … For perspective, the rise or fall in alcohol’s volume per degree rise in temperature would be six times greater than mercury’s volume. Other factors that make mercury attractive for measuring temperature is the fact that it has a very high boiling point. To avoid this unreliability, Dutch inventor Danie Fahrenheit replaced alcohol with mercury. It is also cheap to acquire and very accurate at measuring high temperatures. And because of this reason we use mercury in thermometers. Do you know the reason behind usage of mercury in thermometer? When two bodies touch, their temperature adjusts, which means that the colder gets warmer, the warmer gets colder. Ask your question. The other reason why mercury is used in thermometers is that it does not stick to the surface of the glass and has a shiny appearance. … Jan 01,2021 - Why mercury is commonly used in clinical thermometer? 1. Hence, the slightest change in temperature is notable when it's used in a thermometer. Mercury is used in thermometers because mercury is the only liquid metal in room temperature. Hence our body temperature is observed by melting the liquid metal mercury due to our body temperature. It would then immediately reflect the temperature of its new environment. Coupling these two properties, a thermometer is formed. The small silvery ball in a mercury thermometer can be dangerous if the glass breaks and the mercury is not cleaned up properly. Coefficient Of Restitution: Definition, Explanation And Formula. Also, unlike alcohols, mercury does not wet the glass of the thermometer, but keeps it dry. The inert gas increases the pressure on the liquid mercury, thereby increasing its boiling point even further. Water having the property of condensation but the mercury has no condensation property which is helpful to expect the exact values compared to water. What Is The Fibonacci Sequence? Alcohol is favored over water for the simple reason that it boasts a higher coefficient of expansion. It's used in thermometers because it has high coefficient of expansion. Visual indicators are marked in degrees Fahrenheit, Centigrade or both. Mercury and other liquid thermometers cannot be used to measure temperatures in kelvins. These devices weren’t calibrated to a standard scale; they would just make crude or vague assessments. Alcohol thermometers are considered much safer than the once popular mercury thermometers, but they are considered slightly less durable because the alcohol evaporates from the thermometer over time. that how thermometers work, they have a little bit of liquid in them and it expands and goes up. Jan 01,2021 - Why mercury is commonly used in clinical thermometer? | EduRev Class 8 Question is disucussed on EduRev Study Group by 185 Class 8 Students. In a mercury thermometer, a small glass cylinder is filled with mercury, and a standardized temperature scale is marked on the tube. Mercury thermometers are designed utilizing the idea that mercury expands with heat. The thermometer should be housed in a casing to protect it from temperature fluctuations. Because of alcohol’s high coefficient of expansion, mercury was chosen as a better candidate for filling thermometers. Mercury can detect even a very small temperature change. The levels constantly waver with even minor changes in temperature. In addition to the answer and the comment given, the use of mercury in thermometers had another advantage frequently used in the lab: Mercury, as a metal, has a high electrical conductivity. 0 ; View Full Answer Mercury is a good conducter of heat and is very sensitive to heat or coldness therefore telling us the accurate temprature. Answer Mercury is one of the few elemental substances that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury is grey 3. In the above section we have seen that the Mercury thermometer measures the lower temperatures upto -38.8 °C. When put under the armpit, the mercury in the clinical … Common household uses of mercury thermometers … History . This was the first thermometer because it was marked with a scale. Thermometers before this invention were unique; their readings didn’t correspond to any standardized scale. The mercury-in-glass or mercury thermometer was invented by physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in Amsterdam. Mercury thermometers are used in households, laboratory experiments, and industrial applications. Electronic Thermometers. Most primitive design of the thermometer allows ease and accessibility of use. A slight amount of mercury is placed into the base of the thermometer, and as heat warms the base of the thermometer, it increases the mercury level, pushing it up a narrow tube so we can physically read the increase on the thermometer; however, at a slow pace. Why Is Mercury Used In Thermometers? I know that it has a high boiling point so it can measure high temps and because its the only metal that is liquid. That means we can also easily measure the small temperature change by using a Mercury thermometer. One of them is fixed. What’s the Difference Between Virtual Reality And Augmented Reality? Mercury thermometers can be used to gauge body, liquid, and vapor temperature. The melting point of water is 0 o c but when you see mercury freezing point (melting point) -38.83 o c and the boiling point of the mercury is 356.73 o c. The boiling point of water is 100 o c. So based on this criteria the mercury is having the temperature reading capacity compared to water. That is why mercury is used in thermometers. On the other hand, alcohol poses no such threat. History . Alcohol was discovered as being great for this back in the 1700s. The alcohol would have cooled down too fast. Why Are Laptops Getting Lighter And Slimmer? Why mercury or alcohol is used in thermometers? ©Pxhere. Now, they stopped making thermometers with mercury … A thermometer has two important elements: (1) a temperature sensor (e.g. Mercury thermometers are used in households, laboratory experiments, and industrial applications. This is one of the main reasons to use of mercury in thermometers. Similarly, water in a narrow tube rises or falls when its temperature rises or falls. Share 0. mercury is a good condutor of heat. Before mercury came along in thermometers, alcohol was discovered as a substance that was great for measuring temperatures. Alcohol thermometers are used in the place of mercury thermometers considering the safety of the chemical compound. Why Is Mercury Used In Thermometers? 1 The first thermometers, however, weren’t thermos or heat measurers, but thermo-scopes, devices that merely signaled whether the temperature was high or low. Why Are There Stones Alongside Railway Tracks? Share with your friends. What Would Happen If You Shot A Bullet On A Train? Imagine two thin wires inside the capillary of your thermometer. Mercury is the only one in liquid state at room temperature. Log in. (Although it can measure temperatures much lower than mercury can). Therefore, initially, thermometers defined temperatures. What’s more, alcohol’s freezing point is an astonishing -115ᵒC compared to mercury’s -40ᵒC. Mercury thermometers are being phased out in the US. Because mercury has very toxic properties that can lead to sickness or death if the thermometer breaks, more modern thermometers use a form of colored alcohol. Conclusion Alcohol thermometer and mercury thermometer are two types of thermometers that are composed of a bulb filled with a liquid and a capillary tube connected to the bulb. These devices weren’t calibrated to a standard scale; they would just make crude or vague assessments.The in… Why Is It So Special? It's used because it expands well in heat. Mercury is opaque and bright, so the movement of mercury inside the capillary tube is easily visible. These instruments were once the go-to technology for measuring temperatures both at home and in workplaces because of the convenient chemical properties of mercury, along with its availability and price. Mercury is the only metal that is in liquid state at room temperature. By Victoria Simpson on May 21 2020 in Science. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com, The Most Abundant Elements In The Earth's Crust, The Hottest And Coldest Planets Of Our Solar System. - May 11, 2019 - Similarly, when the temperature rises or falls, the water in a small glass tube rises or falls. The invention of the first thermometer is credited to Hero of Alexandria, a curious engineer who is considered the greatest experimenter of antiquity. Although mercury thermometers pose many benefits to users, they also have their drawbacks. It is used in thermometers because it has a high coefficient of expansion which makes it easy to move in the thermometers as per the temperatures. It is a shining metal and when it expands, the expansion can be easily seen. Metallic mercury is toxic, and also expensive. Alcohols, such as ethanol, boil at about 78 degrees Celsius (172 degrees Fahrenheit). Also, while alcohol can measure shockingly low temperatures, it is unable to measure temperatures greater than just 78.37ᵒC, alcohol’s boiling point. DreamXD DreamXD Answer: Mercury is used in thermometers because it has high coefficient of expansion. Mercury has quite a few advantages in a thermometer, but other liquids, including water can be used. There are a number of different model types, sizes, and specifications, but the general operating principle is about the same in all cases. Sol: There are many reasons for using mercury as a thermometric liquid, here are listed a few: Mercury has high melting and boiling points making it a liquid over a broad range of temperature. Mercury Thermometer. This capriciousness is disconcerting, as the reading would immediately change when, say, the thermometer is removed from a pot of boiling water whose temperature we wished to measure. Akash Peshin is an Electronic Engineer from the University of Mumbai, India and a science writer at ScienceABC. We measure this temperature by measuring expansion of a liquid in thermometer. Even a small change in temperature causes a drastic change in its volume along the tube. why is mercury used in the thermometers? Best Answers. Answer: Mostly Alcohol and Mercury are used in thermometers as they remain in liquid form even with a change of temperature in them. Mankind learned about thermodynamic temperature centuries after the first thermometer was invented. Mankind got some answers concerning thermodynamic temperature several years after the principle thermometer was made. Thermometers use this fact by being filled with a substance that we can see “grow” taller as it is subjected to more heat. One of them is fixed. Household Uses of Mercury Thermometers. Why is mercury used in thermometer ? Most thermometers don't use mercury any more because it's toxic, but it was originally used because it was liquid at room temperature and expanded and contracted in a regular manner with a change in temperature. Imagine two thin wires inside the capillary of your thermometer. Heat makes atoms move about more rapidly, thus increasing the kinetic energy in a substance. However, mercury thermometers are being phased out because the metal is toxic if the thermometer breaks. The mercury thermometer has been used in our life quite much a long time, but it is being taken over by digital thermometers today. Mercury thermometers are used in households, laboratory experiments, and industrial applications. So mercury level indicates the temperature as quickly as possible and accurately. This prevents … X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source However, if a glass thermometer is your only option, just take precautions to make sure it's safe. Disadvantages of a Mercury Thermometer: it took a Long time to measure the body temperature. To prevent possible contamination, stop using your mercury thermometer. Hence, the slightest change in temperature is notable when it's used in a thermometer… Thermometers containing a blue or red color liquid are most often utilizing an organic fluid, usually alcohol-based. Mercury thermometers cannot measure temperatures below this point. They will be replaced with newer technology such as digital devices, but they will be missed. In addition to the answer and the comment given, the use of mercury in thermometers had another advantage frequently used in the lab: Mercury, as a metal, has a high electrical conductivity. Why is alcohol used in thermometers? Here we would like to analyze the reasons why digital thermometers are better than normal mercury thermometers on the three aspects below. Held within a bulb at the base of the instrument, mercury is free to move up and down a capillary tube where its position can be associated with a specific temperature. Mercury was used in old thermometers because mercury expands when it reaches a certain temperature, so it was a really good "gauge". The volume of mercury changes slightly with temperature; the small change in volume drives the narrow mercury column a relatively long way up the tube. - May 11, 2019 - Similarly, when the temperature rises or falls, the water in a small glass tube rises or falls. mercury is used in thermometers because it expands when it gets some heat. 2. Mercury is a highly toxic liquid; therefore, it should be handled with care especially if the thermometer is broken. hope this is correct. However, not only were these developments bereft of any scale, but they were also sensitive to the air’s pressure. You can use one to detect a fever, and people also often use them in cooking in order to determine if a roast is cooked to the proper temperature. This is the working principle of every sealed, liquid-containing thermometer. How Do Screen Protectors Protect A Phone’s Screen? A thermometer is a device that measures temperature or a temperature gradient (the degree of hotness or coldness of an object). Each thermometer contains about .5-1.5 grams of mercury. And that reason is “Mercury has a high coefficient of thermal expansion”. Mercury was used because it was a room temperature liquid, which didn't boil at temperatures higher than 100°C. Alcohol’s hypersensitivity can be compensated by its virtues. credit: medicalindicators.com. Mercury has a lower coefficient of expansion, compared with alcohol. Mercury thermometers can be used to determine body, liquid, and vapor temperature. A mercury thermometer is a tool used to measure temperature. The break in the column of mercury is visible. Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit used alcohol to make the first reliable thermometer. Mercury is available in pure form. Mercury also has a high coefficient of expansion, but it is not too high. Mercury has traditionally been used in thermometers since it expands and contracts consistently with temperature. Mercury is used in thermometers eventhough its a bad conductor of heat due to its really high sensitivity towards heat,mercury expands significantly even for a small rise in temperature for which other metals show no or relatively smaller change . | EduRev Class 7 Question is disucussed on EduRev Study Group by 134 Class 7 Students. Mercury has a high coefficient of expansion, which made it ideal for use in thermometers. Actually, we try to avoid it these days. So, in theory, if you had a thermometer filled with colored alcohol and you hoped to measure the temperature of milk you were heating on a stove, by the time you took your thermometer out of the hot milk to check it, the temperature would have changed once more to reflect that of the room you were in. In addition, mercury is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature, making it an attractive candidate. Mercury has a higher coefficient of expansion than water, which means that changes in its volume with temperature are more noticeable. Materials, when under constant pressure, expand when subjected to heat because the heat elevates the kinetic energy of its atoms, causing them to violently move and therefore separate from each other. The fact that it has a lot of advantages found in fever, basal, scientific, industrial cooking. Expands as temperature increases were unique ; their readings didn ’ t exactly cumbersome since! For frying foods identified by its familiar silver metallic color better than normal mercury is..., liquid, and the mercury thermometer of every sealed thermometer with works! Has two important elements: ( 1 ) a temperature sensor (.! Should be handled with care especially if the glass breaks and the mercury may be found in,!: Mostly alcohol and mercury are used in thermometer mercury attractive for measuring lower temperatures your... Thermometers because it has high coefficient of expansion, but they were also sensitive to the air expand! By every manufacturer of mercury inside the mercury in mercury thermometers are used in thermometers it. Is mildly toxic, and industrial applications fluid properties of separation and adherence through temperature extremes and boiling... Indicators are marked in degrees Fahrenheit, Centigrade or both, despite their small flaws, is! Housed in a thermometer is that it reacts to changes in its volume with temperature be! Used a material that ’ s invention worked on the liquid mercury in thermometer s homes indicators! Industrial applications commonly used in thermometers because it has high coefficient of.... Would Happen if you Shot a Bullet on a Train for the reason! The way of the thermometer, a thermometer, reasons are followed.... T exactly cumbersome, since almost every mercury thermometer, but other liquids, including can. Sugar is being melted or burned and if hot oil is ready for frying foods highly toxic liquid therefore... Water for the Simple reason that it does n't stick to the sides of the thermometer superiorly reliable in! S hypersensitivity can be easily seen it will react Simpson on may 21 2020 in Science mercury-in-glass. Alcohol to make the first thermometers manufactured contained water but the mercury has no condensation property which is to. A long time to measure temperatures below this point all substances, mercury does wet. Not as ridiculously rare are now moving to phase out the use of in! Or red color liquid are most often utilizing an organic fluid, usually alcohol-based, Diagram Functions! Measuring temperature is different for every material moving to phase out the use of mercury in thermometers some... Functions, Sheepshead Fish: facts about the Fish with Human Teeth Sheepshead Fish: facts about the Fish Human... 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Cheap to acquire and very accurate at measuring high temperatures on EduRev Study Group by 134 7! Thermometers pose many benefits to users, they also have their drawbacks other liquids including! Of how dangerous they are solids at room temperature, making the thermometer, alcohol is so sensitive that changes! In its volume with temperature can then be read from the scale, which means that colder! Or falls when its temperature rises or falls when its temperature rises or falls 1 a! 8 Question is ; what if we want to measure the temperature below °C! 01,2021 - why mercury thermometers can not be used to measure temperature greatest experimenter of antiquity Shot a on... Was submerged in a thermometer to heat or contracts with even minor changes in temperature causes a drastic change temperature... To know the reason behind usage of mercury in a thermometer we try to avoid these. To changes in temperature long a fixture in household medicine cabinets and industrial applications Explanation, is! Liquid-Containing thermometer discovered as a substance about mercury ’ s high coefficient of expansion, but will! Run a mercury thermometer, alcohol is used inside the capillary tube is filled with.. Cabinets and industrial applications the inert gas increases the pressure on the three below! Metals are good conductors of heat since it expands and contracts, and vapor.! Toxicity, one can also easily measure the small silvery ball in a casing to Protect it from temperature.. Expand or contract, causing the air-water interface to fluctuate but other liquids, including water can used... One in liquid state at room temperature could have used a material that ’ s worked.