What type of thermometers do doctors use- mercury or alcohol?

  • Thread starter Thread starter eruli321
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eruli321

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HW I am not sure. Alcohol is cheap, able to be used in cold places but inaccurate. Mercury is accurate, easy to see but expensive and poisonus. Please help. 10 points up for grabs!!!
thanks for the help. I have put mercury.
 
If they weren't using the electric ones, I would have to use mercury. Doctors have to be accurate. If your life depended on it, would YOU want a inaccurate thermometer that said you din't have a fever. That would throw them doctors off course.
 
Clinical thermometers are usually mercury-based, while those used in laboratories are usually alcohol.

If you notice, you need to shake a clinical thermometer before taking another reading, while as for an alcohol thermometer, you need not. That's a major difference. The mercury enables one to take the reading even if the thermometer is no longer on the site.
 
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