Mercury is used in a thermometer because it has a lot of advantages. In a mercury thermometer, a glass tube is filled with mercury and a usual temperature scale is marked on the tube. They cannot be used to measure temperatures above this point. 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. People tend to associate mercury with its silvery liquid form - perhaps found in old thermometers. Hence, the slightest change in temperature is notable when it's used in a thermometer. Explain the reason for the general fitting of air conditioner at higher level on the wall of the room. All those substances have one thing in common: They expand (contract) to a well-documented extent in response to increased (decreased) temperature. The ethanol version is the most widely used due to the low cost and relatively low hazard posed by the liquid in case of breakage. Why are mercury thermometers being replaced? Thermometers are a useful thing to have in your home. Each thermometer contains about .5-1.5 grams of mercury. Click ‘Start Quiz’ to begin! Solution for Why is mercury used in thermometers? Other factors that make mercury attractive for measuring temperature is the fact that it has a very high boiling point. 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. 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. Fahrenheit chose mercury because it gave more precise readings over a wider range than the alcohol mix he used in his first thermometer. While mercury thermometers are safe when used correctly, they pose significant risks when they break or if disposed of improperly. Why Were Dalmatians Used By Fire Stations? Because of alcohol’s high coefficient of expansion, mercury was chosen as a better candidate for filling thermometers. Hence, the slightest change in temperature is notable when it's used in a thermometer. The alcohol would have cooled down too fast. Mercury has traditionally been used in thermometers since it expands and contracts consistently with temperature. It is used in floodlights, streetlights, and other outdoor or powerful lights. Mercury is the only one in liquid state at room temperature. The alcohol thermometer or spirit thermometer is an alternative to the mercury-in-glass thermometer and has similar functions. Swing or jerk the thermometer so that the mercury is brought back to the glass bulb. a) It volume is proportional to square of increase of temperature b) It shows linear variation in volume… Mercury thermometers are no longer recommended because they can break and allow mercury — which is toxic — to escape. 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. The small silvery ball in a mercury thermometer can be dangerous if the glass breaks and the mercury is not cleaned up properly. Fahrenheit chose mercury because it gave more precise readings over a wider range than the alcohol mix he used in his first thermometer. It is imported from many parts of the world including Europe. Before mercury came along in thermometers, alcohol was discovered as a substance that was great for measuring temperatures. Never use a vacuum cleaner or shop vac to clean up a mercury spill! The Most Abundant Elements In The Earth's Crust, The Hottest And Coldest Planets Of Our Solar System. Mercury is a metallic element that occurs naturally in the environment. For most applications, alternatives to mercury-containing thermometers are available. Analog "bulb" thermometers use mercury or an organic fluid such as alcohol, kerosene, toluene or some proprietary liquid. There is a technical reason for using mercury in clinical thermometers. Other liquids, such as kerosene or ethanol, may also be … for a small change of temperature, the expansion of mercury is quite large. Mercury is available in pure form. Wet-bulb temperature is measured using a thermometer that has its bulb wrapped in cloth—called a sock—that is kept wet with distilled water via wicking action. Put your understanding of this concept to test by answering a few MCQs. Unfortunately, this measurement is not without hazard. So it gives the correct temperature. Mercury has been used for so long because its volume naturally changes with temperature in a noticeable way. The basic design for this type of thermometer is a small-bore glass tube with a thin-walled glass bulb at the lower end. 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. What is mercury? With changes in temperature, the mercury expands and contracts and the temperature can be read from the scale. Due to these facts, it is also obviously a substance that is difficult to clean up if ti spills. The mercury will evaporate and can contaminate the surrounding air and become toxic to humans and wildlife. 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. They will be replaced with newer technology such as digital devices, but they will be missed. Mercury thermometers are being phased out in the US. Drawbacks. Ethanol is cheaper and safer than mercury and can be used as low as -80˚C. Mercury does not damp glass, this leads to an erroneous reading when the thread is falling. The Teflon coating will help to reduce releases of mercury should a thermometer be broken. Many countries are now moving to phase out the use of mercury thermometers. It is also used as a catalyst in the chemical manufacturing industry. So mercury level indicates the temperature as quickly as possible and accurately. Mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining is particularly hazardous, and health effects on vulnerable populations are significant. The substance expands and moves up the thermometer. © copyright 2021 QS Study. Will the replacement of mercury thermometers be problematic? Mercury has a greater coefficient of thermal expansion than alcohol. Mercury can has more expansion than the water. That was the principle behind the old mercury thermometer that hung beside the back door: On a hot summer’s day, atoms in the mercury moved faster and faster, colliding with one another and increasing the distances between them, causing the mercury to rise in the thermometer’s tube. Wipe area with a damp sponge. QUESTION:Why is alcohol used in regular thermometers and mercury in clinical thermometers? — Older thermometers often contain mercury. Once VMware is free from Dell, who might fancy buying it? Explain Relation among Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin scale, Explain Effect of Pressure on Boiling Point, Why it is not surprising to see nine-figure AI rounds. Alcohol has a much lower boiling point, and it would not even be able to measure the temperature of boiling water. The reason: … Liquid expands at a regular, measureable rate when it is heated. 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