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Because clinical thermometer have a very small range. (20 to 45 degrees Celsius at most) and if placed in boiling water, the water being 100 degrees will cause damage to the thermometer.

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8y ago
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12y ago

The thermometer may get damaged if you wash it with hot boiling water.

Also thermometer which is washed in boiling water would give wrong reading as the thermometer already taken up some heat from water..

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6y ago

A clinical thermometer is used to measure body temperature. The average body temperature is about 37*C, or 98.6*F, so the thermometer is calibrated to measure +/- 5*C in either direction.

Boiling water is 100*C which is way above the maximum range of the clinical thermometer, so this high temperature would most likely damage it.

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13y ago

Because most thermometers would break if they were exposed to water hot enough to sterilize them. And sterilization does not occur at warm temperatures.

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11y ago

Type your answer here... because the temperature of celsius is 0 degree to 100 degree whereas the temperature of fahrenheit is 32 degrees to 212 degree

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Q: Why should a clinical thermometer not be sterilize in boiling water?
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Difference between clinical and a laboratory thermometer?

A clinical thermometer can only measure human body temperatures since it can measure no less than 35 degrees celcius and no more than 42 degrees celcius. An ordinary thermometer can measure and object or substance at any temperature. A clinical thermometer can only measure human body temperatures since it can measure no less than 35 degrees celcius and no more than 42 degrees celcius. An ordinary thermometer can measure and object or substance at any temperature.


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 parts of clinical thermometer?

A clinical thermometer has the following main features. It has a capillary tube that contains mercury or colored alcohol. A bulb that one places onto a surface to measure the temperature of the body is the other part.


Why mercury used in clinical thermometer?

These days, Mercury is considered too risky to use in thermometers (due to the risk of them breaking and contaminating people). Alternate techniques are used today in clinical thermometer, including electronic thermometers and ones based on liquid crystals that aren't as harmful should they leak out and even contactless infrared thermometers..Mercury was used in clinical thermometers due to:Its high thermal expansion (25 °C) 60.4  µm·m−1·K−1Linearity in thermal expansionSensitivity to rise in 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.

Related questions

Difference between clinical and a laboratory thermometer?

A clinical thermometer can only measure human body temperatures since it can measure no less than 35 degrees celcius and no more than 42 degrees celcius. An ordinary thermometer can measure and object or substance at any temperature. A clinical thermometer can only measure human body temperatures since it can measure no less than 35 degrees celcius and no more than 42 degrees celcius. An ordinary thermometer can measure and object or substance at any temperature.


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.


Which is the suitable thermometer for measuring the boiling point of water?

A good thermometer for measuring the temperature of boiling water is one that is calibrated so that 100oC is in the mid to upper range of the scale. A typical alcohol thermometer usually works nicely.


How often should you sterilize your slow speed handpiece used for polishing teeth?

handpiece should be sterilize after using on each patient.


How long do you sterilize the feeding bottles and nipples?

"You should sterilize them by submerging them in a pot of boiling water for at least five minutes. Then allow them to dry on a clean towel. After that, a good cleaning in hot, soapy water, or a cycle through the dishwasher is sufficient. One caveat: If you have well water, repeated sterilization of the bottles may be best."


Which range thermometer can be used to measure the temperature of boiling water in the smaller beaker?

A thermometer that can read up to about 110 °C and down to about 60 °C should cover all boiling points of water that you are likely to encounter in a laboratory. Realistically, you probably wouldn't need any wider range than 80 °C to 105 °C.


How do you use a food thermometer?

Place it in boiling water and it should read around 212ºF. Also, if you have a deep fryer, or crock pot, you can set the temperature, and use oil and heat it to 350ºF and test it that way also.


Why is there a need for us to shake the clinical thermometer prior to each use?

If the clinical thermometer is a mercury based thermometer, it needs to be shaken down prior to each use. This is because there is a pinch point between the mercury reservoir bulb and the capillary tube, to ensure that the mercury does not shrink back into the bulb after the temperature has been taken. The mercury has therefore to be shaken back into the bulb before another measurement can be made. One should note that in many countries use of mercury based clinical thermometers is now discouraged (because mercury is toxic) and electronic thermometers are used in stead - these do not need shaking.


What are the parts of clinical thermometer?

A clinical thermometer has the following main features. It has a capillary tube that contains mercury or colored alcohol. A bulb that one places onto a surface to measure the temperature of the body is the other part.


Why mercury used in clinical thermometer?

These days, Mercury is considered too risky to use in thermometers (due to the risk of them breaking and contaminating people). Alternate techniques are used today in clinical thermometer, including electronic thermometers and ones based on liquid crystals that aren't as harmful should they leak out and even contactless infrared thermometers..Mercury was used in clinical thermometers due to:Its high thermal expansion (25 °C) 60.4  µm·m−1·K−1Linearity in thermal expansionSensitivity to rise in temperature


What are precautions that are to taken while measuring the temperature in clinical thermometer?

the mercury should be at normal body temperature level before using it the thermometer should be cleaned after use with normal water the bulb of the thermometer should not be touched


When should you replace a digital thermometer?

You should replace a digital thermometer when it becomes inaccurate. You should also replace it when it is damaged or cracked.