Chapter 17, Problem 36R

To determine

To Explain: The reason for using mercury rarely in modern thermometers.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Mercury thermometers are used to determine the temperature because with the change in temperature the mercury expands or contracts.

In modern thermometers, mercury is filled in a tube and a scale is marked on the tube for measuring the temperature. When a person use that tube to measure the temperature, due to change in temperature the mercury inside the tube expands and contracts to the scale and he gets a reading on the tube of the temperature. Due to the presence of mercury in thermometers, the body, liquid, and the vapor temperature can be easily measured. That’s why mercury is used in modern thermometers.