I know mercury and coloured alcohol is very commonly used for liquid thermometers....but why not water? Water might not be used because it doen't rise when heated right??
2007-02-12 11:13:01 · 11 answers · asked by ~ DN ~ 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
several reasons why water is not a great liquid for a thermometer. It does work over a limited range and was used in the earliest days.
i) the range over which it remains liquid is not very great
0nly 0 to 100 Celsius (32 F - 212 F)
Mercury is liquid from -39 to + 357 C
Alcohol thermometers are often used from -20 to + 110C (-4 - 230F)
ii) water is not a liquid over the range of commonly experienced temperatures - which could be said to be -30 to +50 C
iii) water does not expand linearly with temperature. Water is at its most dense at 4 Celsius - it then expands as it gets colder. so near to 0 Celsius (32 F) it would not be reliable.
Galileo used alcohol filled bulbs in water to act as a thermometer. The bulbs float as they are less dense than water.
2007-02-12 11:26:13 · answer #1 · answered by elentophanes 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dear
in principle Water can be used as a thermometric material
But Keep in mind Water has the highest Specific Heat Capcity between Liquids
So It will tend change the tempreture that it supose to measure and it will have a bad acurasy aslso.
2007-02-12 11:32:21 · answer #2 · answered by Mohamed K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
furthermore, because of the properties of water (i.e hydrogen bonding), it is a rather difficult material to heat. The water thermometer would have to be incredibly long to measure tiny incriments of change. Unless of course you made a water thermometer unlike Mercury thermometers, i.e the galileo thermometer
2007-02-12 11:21:30 · answer #3 · answered by kawawa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What happens when it is heated? It boils... and there is some evaporation due to steam. What happens when it cools? It freezes and becomes a solid. Therefore, it is a lousy liquid to use in a thermometer....
2007-02-12 11:16:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Specific heat capacity is the key word. It determine the sensitivity of temperature of the liquid column. The smaller amount of heat required, the more sensible it is.
2007-02-13 07:55:49 · answer #5 · answered by chanljkk 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think your real problem would show itself around freezing.
Water expands when it freezes, which would break the glass.
2007-02-12 11:21:39 · answer #6 · answered by welder guy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would freeze. Then expand. And the thermoeter would explode.
2007-02-12 11:20:54 · answer #7 · answered by The guy most girls want to kill! 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if the temp goes below 32 it would freeze.
2007-02-12 11:17:52 · answer #8 · answered by amazonp017 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because at 32F it would freeze, expand and break the tube it is in.
2007-02-12 11:16:56 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
it expands when/as it freezes also (would go in the wrong direction)
2007-02-12 11:16:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋