Various temperatures allow for different flows of energy. No, they do not so long as you take good care of them! Because of alcohol’s high coefficient of expansion, mercury was chosen as a better candidate for filling thermometers. If there is no liquid in your thermometer, for example, if it uses a metallic strip or coil to measure temperature (like most meat thermometers do), it is not a mercury thermometer. Well, as it turns out, the type of thermometer you choose does indeed have a significant impact on your temperature reading as well as your all-around safety, so let’s take a look at the following Mercury thermometers have been around for quite some time; however, as of recent, digital thermometers have begun to take over, which is cause for us to research their benefits over mercury thermometers. There are also some models that can be used to measure temperatures far above the boiling point of mercury, and they can also be used to measure temperatures far below mercury’s freezing point.As stated earlier, digital thermometers utilize metal components along with advanced technology to provide instant results. Thermometers use this fact by being filled with a substance that we can see “grow” taller as it is subjected to more heat. In fact, digital thermometers have several advantages over traditional mercury thermometers, which the following comparisons will reveal.Digital thermometers provide fast results as opposed to mercury thermometers whose readings are slower to realize because you have to wait for the mercury to heat and then slowly rise to display the temperature. Mercury thermometers will not be seen for much longer in people’s homes. Alcohol expands rapidly when it heats up. Many countries are now moving to phase out the use of mercury thermometers. Mercury is a neurotoxin, and if you are exposed to it outside of its typical glass thermometer tube, it can cause you to go deaf, experience tremors, memory loss, and partial blindness, among other awful permanent side effects. Instead, digital thermometers contain metal parts that react based on voltage to provide faster and more accurate results than alcohol or water.In the end, which type of thermometer you select makes all the difference between receiving a slow, unpredictable temperature reading and receiving fast, most accurate results. Do not clean up spilled mercury with bare hands. Alcohol was discovered as being great for this back in the 1700s. As the temperature drop, some of the alcohol can also remain behind, which can also cause an inaccurate reading. Mercury is a liquid metal that has been used in thermometers for many years, but it is toxic if swallowed or inhaled. Mercury thermometers have been around for quite some time; however, as of recent, digital thermometers have begun to take over, which is cause for us to research their benefits over mercury thermometers. The voltage of these various metals has been tested and arranged to provide extreme accuracy.There are also thermometers that utilize microelectronic mechanical systems (MEMS), which operates similarly to a bimetallic strip. Answer Save. But when it comes to selecting a thermometer, which is best, a digital thermometer or a mercury thermometer? Daniel Gabriel So, in theory, if you had a thermometer filled with colored alcohol and you hoped to measure the temperature of milk you were heating on a stove, by the time you took your thermometer out of the hot milk to check it, the temperature would have changed once more to reflect that of the room you were in. Although mercury thermometers pose many benefits to users, they also have their drawbacks. 1 decade ago. Therefore, the mercury thermometer other thermometers accurately measure the temperature of the human body. Your grandparents may have one in their medicine cabinet, or even your parents, but newly stocked bathrooms are much more likely to have a digital thermometer on hand.

Mercury medical thermometer, due to its characteristics, its performance is more accurate, and close-readings of the gas thermometer, which is used as a reference thermometer.
Top Answer. If a mercury thermometer breaks or leaks, it can release toxic vapors. Mercury is a toxic chemical, which if released could contaminate the body as well as surrounding areas, rendering it unsafe. Lastly, you do not need an external power source like a battery or electricity to run a mercury thermometer. Due to these facts, it is also obviously a substance that is difficult to clean up if ti spills. They will be replaced with newer technology such as digital devices, but they will be missed. It is also difficult to clean up. It is also cheap to acquire and very accurate at measuring high temperatures.
Answer. You should also consider the overall safety of the thermometer when making a choice.Welcome to ThermoPro, our goal is to help you cook like a pro! Wiki User. If the liquid in the thermometer bulb is any color other than silver, it is not a mercury thermometer. The substance expands and moves up the thermometer. In fact, mercury thermometers are being phased out by a number of countries across the globe and not allowed to be sold to customers due to the hazard they pose.On the other hand, digital thermometers utilize metal components, which are much sturdier and contain no harmful chemicals for improved safety. Favourite answer. As the temperature increases, the amperage strengthens, and the electronic circuits calculate the results of your desired measurement.In the case of thermometers that utilize a thermocouple probe, the thermocouple is created by attaching two opposite metals, which generates a slight voltage, based on the temperature. To do so, the thermometer is placed in a boiling hot or ice cold bath for adjustment using the temperatures.Mercury thermometers are most often made of glass, which is inserted into food to gauge the temperature. You can then look at your thermometer, and you will have enough time to read the temperature it displays before the mercury goes back down again.

As the temperature increases, the strip responds by diverting this increase, which in turn alters the changes between the plates, thereby adjusting the system’s electronic charge capacity.