Are glass mercury thermometers still available?
Are glass mercury thermometers still available?
What Will Replace Them? The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced last week that it would stop calibrating mercury thermometers starting March 1 a move that brings the U.S. one step closer to phasing out these temperature-measuring devices for good.
Are glass mercury thermometers accurate?
The accuracy of a typical glass thermometer is ±1 scale division. These are available in partial immersion or total immersion types and typically have to be considerably longer to achieve the same specifications as a mercury thermometer.
What is the use of mercury in glass thermometer?
In a mercury thermometer, a glass tube is filled with mercury and a standard temperature scale is marked on the tube. With changes in temperature, the mercury expands and contracts, and the temperature can be read from the scale. Mercury thermometers can be used to determine body, liquid, and vapor temperature.
How much mercury is in a glass thermometer?
The small silvery ball in a mercury thermometer can be dangerous if the glass breaks and the mercury is not cleaned up properly. The mercury will evaporate and can contaminate the surrounding air and become toxic to humans and wildlife. Each thermometer contains about . 5-1.5 grams of mercury.
How long does a glass thermometer last?
Thermometers do not expire, but they do have to eventually be replaced. Digital thermometers will last about 3 to 5 years, while mercury thermometers will last indefinitely as long as they aren’t cracked or damaged.
How do you clean a mercury thermometer?
Sprinkle sulfur powder over the contaminated area and rub it gently all over the surface and into the cracks with a paper towel. Sulfur powder binds with mercury. Use a paper towel dampened with water followed by wiping with another damp paper towel to clean up the sulfur and mercury.
Are mercury thermometers more accurate?
While mercury thermometers can measure temperature within one degree Celsius, digital thermometers can be as accurate as 0.001 degrees C a difference of four orders of magnitude in accuracy. This changeover won’t be a big deal for the average person “In fact, you can’t buy [mercury thermometers] anymore,” Strouse said.
What are mercury thermometers?
Common household uses of mercury thermometers include fever thermometers and oven, candy and meat thermometers. Mercury fever thermometers are made of glass the size of a straw, with a silvery-white liquid inside. They are common in many households, schools and medical facilities.
What is a glass mercury thermometer?
Mercury-in-glass thermometer. It is a bulb containing Mercury attached to a glass tube of narrow diameter. The volume of mercury in the tube is much less than the volume in the bulb. The volume of mercury changes slightly with temperature. The small change in volume drives the narrow mercury column up the tube.
