But the maximum temperature measured by an alcohol thermometer is 78.5°C; hence this thermometer is suitable for measuring lower temperatures. On the surface of the glass tube, temperature scale is marked in order to get the value for a particular temperature. disadvantages of alcohol thermometer. The alcoholglass thermometer: As a liquid it utilises ethyl alcohol, toluene and technical pentane. “Alcohol thermometer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Nov. 2017, Available here. The optical pyrometer is not useful for measuring the temperature of clean burning gases that do not radiate visible energy. It is less toxic and less hazardous. Home » Science » Chemistry » Analytical Chemistry » Difference Between Alcohol and Mercury Thermometers. It really depends on what you need to determine the … It is also known as mercury-in-glass thermometer. Some believe that non-mercury thermometers should not be used in secondary schools bec… The temperature measurement range of alcohol thermometers varies from 115°C to 785°C, where former is the freezing temperature point of alcohol and latter is boiling temperature point of alcohol. She has produced works for Red Anvil Publishing and was one of the top 10 finalists in the 2007 Midnight Hour Short Story Contest for OnceWritten.com. 2. Alcohol thermometer and mercury thermometer are two types of thermometers which are composed of a bulb and a marked glass tube. Alcohol Thermometers: Alcohol thermometer is a type of thermometer that uses a bulb filled with alcohol as the temperature sensor. less hazardous. Mercury Thermometers: Mercury thermometer is a type of thermometer that uses a bulb filled with mercury as the temperature sensor. Liquid-in-Glass Thermometers. Alcohol thermometers, on the other hand, tend to have a lower conductivity while wetting the walls of the device. It is a good conductor of heat. It exerts low vapour pressure. When these thermometers are placed in warm solutions, they can measure the temperature of that solution using the expansion of the liquid inside the bulb through the capillary tube. “Rtuťový teploměr; Mediacal mercury-in-glass thermometer” by Da Sal (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr. The space of the capillary tube (above mercury) is filled with nitrogen gas. The temperature range is −80 to +330 °C depending on the liquid. 3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Types of Thermometers Medically reviewed by Debra Sullivan, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., CNE, COI — Written by Corey Whelan on December 15, 2020 Types fluid loss by evaporation hard to avoid . When the bulb is immersed in the sample in which the temperature should be measured, the mercury rises up the capillary tube due to the expansion of the volume as a response to the change in temperature. When the volume of alcohol expands, the liquid enters the capillary tube and rises. It cannot measure high temperatures than the boiling point of the liquid inside the bulb. Disadvantages of Alcohol Thermometer. Kirkham, in Principles of Soil and Plant Water Relations, 2005. It can measure low temperatures. First, they are easy to use. Because of sensitivity of temperature, high thermal conductivity, low thermal capacity, good visibility and non-wetting of the internal capillary walls of the thermometer, mercury is typically a very accurate gauge of temperature. A mercury-in-glass thermometer has a range of -39oC to 360oC while an alcohol-in-glass thermometer has a range of -112o C to 78o C. Noah Borel Here are some advantages and disadvantages of mercury-in-glass thermometers: It has a greater value of temperature coefficient of expansion than a mercury thermometer. Macmillan and co, limited, 1920, Explaining Physics: GCSE Edition By Stephen Pople. The position of the meniscus of the liquid is read using the temperature scale marked on the glass tube. Thermometer is commonly made of a glass tube which is filled with liquids. Alcohol Thermometers: Alcohol thermometer wall get wet by alcohol. It has uniform expansion. This physical property also makes alcohol prone to vaporisation, making it less reliable to use than mercury in a thermometer. Why is a thermometer, alcohol or mercury, usually shaken before used?" The typical shelf life of an alcohol thermometer is significantly shorter than that of a mercury thermometer. 4. The mercury thermometer is one example of liquid thermometers. Thermister-based or “metal thermometers” are recommended in these applications, which do not utilize any liquid for temperature measurement. There are some disadvantages of optical pyrometer which are given below. of 357 degree C. 7. DISADVANTAGES: 1. Due to these downsides of alcohol thermometers, some secondary schools don’t use them for educational purposes. Mercury Thermometers: Mercury is highly toxic. 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