2007-03-16 03:07:41 · 15 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Well,
I am a chemist and the mercury in the thermomenters that you see are silver in color. While the red thermometers are dyed alcohol. The reason why they switched to an alcohol based thermometer is because when the thermometers broke on the floor or whatever, the merecury would be released and it is hard to clean up because of the way it moves about. It is also VERY toxic and poisonous to humans and animals, you only need about a drop and your going to be very sick or maybe even die from mercury poisoning. But yes, this is a very good question to ask. Usually you see mercury thermometers in a lab and in old thermometers, more new ones use alcohol dyed red because alcohol is clear like water, so they add a dye to it so that you can see it. Hope this helps.
Wee Man.
2007-03-16 03:54:56 · answer #1 · answered by boychuka 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The red stuff in most thermometers is alcohol with red dye added to it. Only thermometers that have silver liquid in them are mercury thermometers. I think those are getting hard to find these days.
2007-03-16 12:08:10 · answer #2 · answered by xox_bass_player_xox 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Red liquid in thermometers is not Mercury. It's dyed alcohol.
Mercury filled thermometers are silver/golden.
2007-03-16 10:16:37 · answer #3 · answered by Michael Dino C 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A thermometer that has the "red stuff", is not a mercury thermometer. A thermometer that has mercury,shows silver.
2007-03-16 10:14:13 · answer #4 · answered by ? 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Thermometers that are red use dyed alcohol. A mercury thermometer does look silver.
We refer to it as mercury for the same reason we call the stuff in pencils "lead" when it's really graphite. Most thermometers used to contain mercury, until health concerns made us switch to alcohol, but use of the term "mercury" stuck.
2007-03-16 10:11:03 · answer #5 · answered by OMGWTFBBQ!!1 3 · 7⤊ 0⤋
the red stuff in thermometers is alcohol. it's safer so it's used in most thermometers. older ones (and ones that go to extreme temps) are mercury and are silver in color
2007-03-16 12:51:17 · answer #6 · answered by shiara_blade 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The red stuff in a thermometer isn't mercury -- it is alcohol, with a red dye dissolved in it.
2007-03-16 10:27:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the red liquid in some therms is not mercury at all. those are termed liquid in glass (LIG) thermometers. true mercury thermometers will have a silver color and be termed mecury in glass (MIG) thermometers.
2007-03-16 10:12:41 · answer #8 · answered by hornguy1973 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A dye is added in thermometers to make it easier to see, and not all thermometers have a red mercury, some still have silver.
2007-03-16 10:10:49 · answer #9 · answered by Kevin M 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋
it's an ethyl alcohol thermometer, not a mercury thermometer.
2007-03-16 10:36:57 · answer #10 · answered by Falcon Man 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋