Medical spirit thermometers use a non-toxic alcohol, usually coloured red or blue to make it easier to see the level.
The liquid in which a thermometer is typically dipped is called mercury. Mercury is commonly used in old-style thermometers, but newer thermometers may use alcohol or other liquids instead.
Mercury stays contained in the tube of a mercury thermometer when in use. It does not escape into the air as long as the thermometer is intact. However, if the thermometer is broken or improperly disposed of, mercury vapor can be released into the air, which is harmful to health.
Galileo invented an air thermometer in about 1600, but changes in atmospheric pressure made accurate measurement difficult. Liquids were quickly used instead and Gabriel Fahrenheit was the first to use alcohol (1709) and mercury (1714), in a thermometer.
If it is a modern version, yes. Most "air temperature" thermometers use colored alcohol mixes instead of mercury (the vapor of which can be very toxic).
Advantages of using alcohol in a thermometer include being less toxic than mercury, having a lower freezing point, and a wider temperature range. However, disadvantages include having a lower boiling point than mercury, being more flammable, and having a lower density which can affect accuracy.
Some thermometers use alcohol or dyed alcohols like ethanol instead of mercury. These liquids expand and contract with temperature changes, allowing the thermometer to measure the temperature. Digital thermometers use electronic sensors to measure temperature.
A mercury thermometer is used to measure temperature.
A non-mercury thermometer is a thermometer that does not contain mercury as the temperature-sensing liquid. Instead, it may use alcohol, galinstan, or other materials to measure temperature. These alternatives are considered safer for environmental and health reasons compared to mercury thermometers.
The liquid in which a thermometer is typically dipped is called mercury. Mercury is commonly used in old-style thermometers, but newer thermometers may use alcohol or other liquids instead.
A mercury-in-glass thermometer is most likely to contain alcohol. However, due to safety concerns, many modern thermometers use alcohol-based solutions or other materials instead of mercury.
to check the temperature
Mercury
only in a thermometer
Alcohol, usually with a red dye in it
Most modern thermometers no longer use mercury due to its toxicity. Instead, digital thermometers, infrared thermometers, and other types of thermometer technology that do not contain mercury are widely available and recommended for safer use.
Because it does not freeze or evaporate
Mercury in a Mercury thermometer is typically silver in color.