Why is mercury used as a thermometric fluid?

Answer 1

We have different reasons for this and they are listed below:

• It is liquid across a very broad temperature range, making it very versatile.
• It is metal, and thus has a relatively stable coefficient of expansion, and it only needs one calibration temperature.
• It has a fairly high coefficient of expansion, making the slightest change in temperature very visible and thus making it excellent for use in analog displays (i.e. a physical thermometer).
• it does not cling to the sides of tube.
• it has a visible meniscus.
• Unlike water it does not expand upon solidification and will not break the glass tube.
• It has a high boiling point of 357 degree celsius.

Mercury is good conductor of heat.

Answer 2

The bulb thermometer is the common glass thermometer you probably grew up with. The thermometer contains some type of fluid, generally http://wiki.answers.com/Why_are_mercury_and_alcohol_used_in_thermometers#. Bulb thermometers rely on the simple principle that a liquid changes its volume relative to its temperature. Liquids take up less space when they are cold and more space when they are warm (this same principal works for gases and is the basis of the hot air balloon)

You probably work with liquids every day, but may not notice that things like water, milk and http://wiki.answers.com/Why_are_mercury_and_alcohol_used_in_thermometers#oil all take up more or less space as their temperatures change. In these cases, the change in volume is fairly small. All bulb thermometers use a fairly large bulb and a narrow tube to accentuate the change in volume.

Answer 3

Mercury is used as a thermometric fluid because it has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, meaning it expands and contracts consistently with changes in temperature. It is also visible in a glass tube due to its silver color, making it easy to read. Additionally, mercury remains in liquid form over a wide range of temperatures, allowing for accurate measurement in various environments.