What element is a liquid metal used in a thermometer?

Answer 1

Mercury is a liquid metal that is used in thermometers.

Answer 2

In the past, Mercury was used in ALL thermometers, oral or rectal for human use. But Mercury poses health risks. So they changed the internal workings to electronic components.

As an historical point of view, when I grew up, all thermometers contained mercury enclosed in thin glass. If the thermometer was dropped, it could easily break. Mercury when spilled is attracted to it's own droplets. So although the mercury spilled out, it formed little round silver balls that could easily be pushed together, separated again, and pushed back together---all with one finger! Children delighted in "playing" with it, until the droplets rolled around in enough dust that they did not attract to each other as well. Then, we pushed the remaining balls onto a piece of paper and threw it into the regular garbage, which was then burned outdoors or in the coal furnace. After 1980s, they began making thermometers without mercury from fears about mercury toxicity and mercury poisoning. (But plenty of people now over 50 years old never experienced bad effects from playing with mercury droplets.)

Answer 3

In the past, mercury was used in ALL thermometers, oral or rectal for human use. But mercury poses health risks. So they changed the internal workings to electronic components.

As an historical point of view, when I grew up, all thermometers contained mercury enclosed in thin glass. If the thermometer was dropped, it could easily break. Mercury when spilled is attracted to it's own droplets. So although the mercury spilled out, it formed little round silver balls that could easily be pushed together, separated again, and pushed back together---all with one finger! Children delighted in "playing" with it, until the droplets rolled around in enough dust that they did not attract to each other as well. Then, we pushed the remaining balls onto a piece of paper and threw it into the regular garbage, which was then burned outdoors or in the coal furnace. After 1980s, they began making thermometers without mercury from fears about mercury toxicity and mercury poisoning. (But plenty of people now over 50 years old never experienced bad effects from playing with mercury droplets.)

Answer 4

The metal used in thermometers is the element Mercury (Hg) ...

The melting point of Mercury is -38.87ºC (about -40ºF) so it is a liquid at normal temperatures.

Answer 5

Mercury is a liquid metal that is used in thermometers.

Answer 6

Quicksilver, also known as mercury.

Answer 7

mercury