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Q: What should you do when you break a thermometer that contains mercury?
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Why do you use mercury in thermometer?

As tempertature rises, the mercury in the thermometer expands, causing it to go up. As temperature decreases, the mercury in the thermometer contracts, causing it to go down on the scale. However, mercury thermometers are very dangerous if it breakes and gets on your skin. so it it reccomended to use an electric thermometer. these thermometers use thermoelectric current to measure temperature. ergo. they are safe if they break cheers <3 -Eli


Why care must be taken when disposing of a mercury-in-glass thermometer?

Well i'm not that old but i know a few:1)The thermometer will be of two types; a) Clinical Thermometer b) Laboratory Thermometer;a) The Clinical Thermometer: used to measure the temperature of the human body, at home, clinics and hospitals.b) The Laboratory Thermometer: used to measure the temperature in school and other laboratories for scientific research.Precautions:Wash the thermometer before and after use with an antiseptic solution, and handle it with care.See that the mercury levels are below the kink and don't hold the thermometer near its bulb.While noting down the reading in the thermometer, place the mercury level along the eye sight.Do not place the Clinical thermometer in a hot flame or in the hot sun.Note:The Clinical Thermometer should go above 108*F (42*C) and below 94*F (35*C) otherwise it might blow off the top and leak. Therefore, a Clinical Thermometer is used to measure the body temperature.


Why there is kink in clinical thermometer?

In a normal clinical thermometer, the mercury moves up and down the capillary tube as the temperature changes and thus if you removed it from contact with the patient the reading would steadily fall as it cooed. As you need a clinical thermometer to give you a reading of the patients temperature even after it has been removed from the patient, you need to stop the mercury shrinking back into the reservoir. The 'kink' breaks the connection between the mercury in the capillary tube and the reservoir so the reading given is accurate. On the other hand before it can be used again the mercury in the capillary tube has to be vigorously shaken back into the reservoir.On a point of interest, clinical thermometers are getting very rare because they have been phased out due to concerns regarding mercury poisoning should they break in use.


Why do schools generally use red alcohol thermometers and not mercury?

Alcohol also reacts to heat by expanding and contracting and is much safer to use than mercury which is a neurotoxin that can make you very sick if the thermometer were to break and you got in contact with it.


Can you give a technical description of the clinical thermometer?

Definition:It is an instrument used to measure body temperature.Diagram:Description:It is a small glass thermometer designed for clinical use in humans or animals. Designed with a narrowing small glass above the bulb so that the mercury column stays in position when the instrument is removed from the body. It is carefully calibrated at the time of manufacturing. Now a days mercury thermometer not used because it can break, spilling mercury posing a risk of human or animal health. they can be inserted in the month, armpit, anus or even attached to the forehead depending on the design.

Related questions

What precautions should be taken when using mercury base thermometer?

don't break it. If you do open the windows.


Why not mercury thermometer is used to measure temperature of hot milk?

It could be used to do this - it is capable of doing it. However, Mercury is poisonous and a mercury thermometer is made out of fragile glass. Thus the danger that the thermometer would break releasing mercury into the milk (which would be for a person to drink) means that a mercury thermomiter is not the temperature sensor to use in this instance.


Why do you use mercury in thermometer?

As tempertature rises, the mercury in the thermometer expands, causing it to go up. As temperature decreases, the mercury in the thermometer contracts, causing it to go down on the scale. However, mercury thermometers are very dangerous if it breakes and gets on your skin. so it it reccomended to use an electric thermometer. these thermometers use thermoelectric current to measure temperature. ergo. they are safe if they break cheers <3 -Eli


Why do you use mercury thermometer?

As tempertature rises, the Mercury in the thermometer expands, causing it to go up. As temperature decreases, the mercury in the thermometer contracts, causing it to go down on the scale. However, mercury thermometers are very dangerous if it breakes and gets on your skin. so it it reccomended to use an electric thermometer. these thermometers use thermoelectric current to measure temperature. ergo. they are safe if they break cheers <3 -Eli


Were is Mercury located?

You can find mercury inside a glass thermometer, if it is old and maybe a bit out of date. Don't break it though to get the mercury out... unless your in a lab and you have all the safety equipment


When your pool thermometer breaks in the pool should you shock the pool right away?

Shocking is not useful response for a broken pool thermometer. Most pool thermometers are electronic sensors or bimetallic strips, which won't put anything into the pool if they break, or are based on colored alcohol, for which shocking will not do anything. If your broken thermometer used mercury (unlikely) it will settle to the bottom and into the drain traps. You need to get the mercury out of the drains.


What liquid metal that used to be used in thermometers?

Mercury. Note: mercury is very toxic. If you find mercury (for example, if you break an old mercury thermometer), check with your local poison control center for instructions to dispose of it safely.


Why care must be taken when disposing of a mercury-in-glass thermometer?

Well i'm not that old but i know a few:1)The thermometer will be of two types; a) Clinical Thermometer b) Laboratory Thermometer;a) The Clinical Thermometer: used to measure the temperature of the human body, at home, clinics and hospitals.b) The Laboratory Thermometer: used to measure the temperature in school and other laboratories for scientific research.Precautions:Wash the thermometer before and after use with an antiseptic solution, and handle it with care.See that the mercury levels are below the kink and don't hold the thermometer near its bulb.While noting down the reading in the thermometer, place the mercury level along the eye sight.Do not place the Clinical thermometer in a hot flame or in the hot sun.Note:The Clinical Thermometer should go above 108*F (42*C) and below 94*F (35*C) otherwise it might blow off the top and leak. Therefore, a Clinical Thermometer is used to measure the body temperature.


What are the disadvantages of clinical thermometer?

i am not sure if it was worded correctly. my daughter asked me to get some disadvantages for her


Why there is kink in clinical thermometer?

In a normal clinical thermometer, the mercury moves up and down the capillary tube as the temperature changes and thus if you removed it from contact with the patient the reading would steadily fall as it cooed. As you need a clinical thermometer to give you a reading of the patients temperature even after it has been removed from the patient, you need to stop the mercury shrinking back into the reservoir. The 'kink' breaks the connection between the mercury in the capillary tube and the reservoir so the reading given is accurate. On the other hand before it can be used again the mercury in the capillary tube has to be vigorously shaken back into the reservoir.On a point of interest, clinical thermometers are getting very rare because they have been phased out due to concerns regarding mercury poisoning should they break in use.


What is the purpose of the 'kink' in clinical thermometer?

In a normal Mercury thermometer, the mercury moves up and down the capillary as the temperature changes and thus if you removed it form contact with the patient the reading would steadily fall as it cooed. As you need a medical thermometer to give you a reading of the patients temperature even after it has been removed form the patient, you need to stop the mercury shrinking back into the reservoir. The 'kink' does this, it breaks the connection between the mercury in the capillary and the reservoir so the reading given is accurate. On the other hand before it can be used again the mercury in the capillary has to be vigorously shaken back into the reservoir. On a point of interest, clinical mercury thermometers (with the 'kink') are getting very rare because they have been phased out due to concerns regarding mercury poisoning should hey break in use.


Why do schools generally use red alcohol thermometers and not mercury?

Alcohol also reacts to heat by expanding and contracting and is much safer to use than mercury which is a neurotoxin that can make you very sick if the thermometer were to break and you got in contact with it.