Question

Which property of mercury is NOT utilised in the working of a mercury based thermometer?

• A. It expands while getting heated.
  
• B. It does not stick to the sides of the glass tube.
  
• C. It can be easily combined with other metals.
  
• D. It has a high boiling point.
  

Answer 1

The correct option is C It can be easily combined with other metals.


Mercury is used in thermometers because it has a high coefficient of expansion which makes it easy to move in the thermometers as per the temperatures. Mercury has a high boiling point which makes it suitable to measure higher temperatures.
In a mercury thermometer, a glass tube is filled with mercury. Mercury does not stick to the walls of the glass tube. This makes the thermometer give accurate measurements.
Mercury can be combined with other metals like gold, silver and tin. But this property has got nothing to do with its application in thermometers.