


How does a thermometer with mercury work? This term is still often used in common parlance, although digital and infrared thermometers are much more widespread nowadays. Not least because of this, you can see some representatives on old house facades or in medical photo documentation. Traditionally, the mercury thermometer was used for measuring outdoor temperatures and body temperatures. This substance is extremely toxic and can escape if the glass is damaged – contact then poses a risk of organ and nerve damage. This is due to the highly hazardous properties of mercury to health. Hinzu kommen Nummern auf dem Glas, die die Temperaturwerte markieren.Īlthough glass and liquid thermometers are still referred to as mercury, such measuring devices may no longer be sold in the EU since 2017. The meter consists of a thin glass tube and a collection point for the mercury. Obwohl diese Bezeichnung häufig verwendet wird, enthalten die meisten Thermometer heute andere Füllstoffe wie Toluol, Pentan, Ethanol und Gallenstein. If a mercury thermometer is mentioned, it is an expansion thermometer with a filling of mercury. In the meantime, however, these thermometers are very rare – this is mainly due to the high health hazard. What a mercury thermometer is, how it works and what you should look out for in case of damage and disposal, we have briefly summarized for you in this blog. In mercury thermometers, expansion of the filler is used to accurately determine an external or body temperature.
