Question

What are the characteristics of thermometric liquid

Answer 1

Mercury is silvery white and freezes into a soft solid like tin or lead at about -39 °C. Mercury does not wet glass or cling to it, and this property, coupled with its uniform volume expansion throughout its liquid range, makes it useful in liquid-in-glass thermometers.

Answer 2

1. It should expand uniformly so that a linear scale could be marked on the stem.
2. It should not stick to the sides of the capillary tube.This will help in recording the correct temperatures.
3. It should be opaque,coloured and shining so that it is easily visible in the capillary tube.
4. It should be easily available in the pure form.
5. It should absorb a very small amount of heat energy from the body whose temperature is being recorded.This will not change the temperature of the body.
6. It should have a very wide range,i.e.,it should have a low freezing point and a high boiling point.This will help to record the general temperatures of the most of the substances.