For the temperature range of most interest for humans, silver is a solid that doesn't change as much in volume over temperature as Mercury does.
A mercury thermometer can go down to -30 deg C
The thermal expansion of mercury is proportional and linear to temperature.
Mercury - the God of trade, the planet, and a thermometer.
Most commonly, the two substances used in a thermometer's glass tube are mercury and alcohol. Mercury is traditionally used in older thermometers, while alcohol (typically colored red) is used in modern thermometers as a safer alternative.
Mercury is a metal so it will sink to the bottom of the pool where an alcohol will float. Actually, it's more likely that alcohol will simply disperse into the pool; low molecular weight alcohols are extremely soluble. A simpler way to tell is the color: mercury is silver and looks, well, metallic; alcohol in thermometers is generally colored either red or blue simply to make it easier to see. (A lot of people think mercury is red, but it isn't. Some mercury COMPOUNDS such as cinnabar are red, but those are not used in thermometers.) The fact that the liquid in the thermometer is metallic does not necessarily mean that it is mercury; it might be a gallium alloy. However, since mercury is toxic, if you're not sure it's probably safer to assume that it was mercury and treat the spill accordingly.
What looks silver in a glass thermometer is actually mercury, which is toxic.
The silver-colored liquid inside a thermometer is typically mercury, which is a heavy metal that expands and contracts with changes in temperature, allowing the thermometer to measure and display the temperature accurately.
A mercury thermometer is used to measure temperature.
Silver has a lower coefficient of thermal expansion compared to the glass in a thermometer. This means that as temperature changes, silver would not expand or contract at the same rate as the glass, leading to inaccurate temperature readings. Additionally, silver could react with substances in the thermometer and corrode over time, affecting its durability and performance.
The red liquid in a liquid-in-glass thermometer is mineral spirits or ethanol alcohol mixed with red dye. A grey or silver liquid inside the thermometer is mercury. Mercury thermometers are not used anymore due to the dangers associated with mercury.
Mercury and alcohol
Mercury rises in a thermometer when the temperature increases because mercury expands as it heats up. This expansion of the mercury column inside the thermometer is used to measure the temperature of the surrounding environment.
A mercury thermometer can go down to -30 deg C
Actually, you should NOT. Mercury is very toxic.
mercury
toxic poison
The liquid in a clinical thermometer is called mercury. It is used to measure body temperature by expanding and rising within the thermometer.