Don't they know mercury could be poisonous. Dyed alcohol would be much safer, right?
2007-09-07 06:44:41 · 5 answers · asked by Alexander 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
it's cheaper, show's better readin
2007-09-07 06:56:40 · answer #1 · answered by Charu Chandra Goel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mercury is potentially poisonous only when the column is broken. The length of the column is inversely proportion to the density of the liquid, so a dyed alcohol thermometer would be about 16 times longer than a mercury thermometer (no snickering, please).
Most doctors offices and hospitals have abandoned the mercury thermometer in favor of the digital thermocouple device.
2007-09-07 06:51:23 · answer #2 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
sure, but doctors work on cost principals. if its cheaper to get the mercury ones, as long as they don't break, it better. also i think mercury is a better indicator of heat, as opposed to dyed alcohol. but mostly its probably the cost of the mercury, or that they have alot of left over mercury ones. As to more than that, only a doctor who uses them might know.
2007-09-07 06:50:27 · answer #3 · answered by Josh W 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thermometers don't break very often and they are a standard tool. In my office, however, doctors use an electronic thermometer with a disposable tip.
2007-09-07 06:52:46 · answer #4 · answered by stopwar11112 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know of no one who has died from a thermometer!
2007-09-07 06:52:33 · answer #5 · answered by Wounded Duck 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋