Asked by: Safiatou Lecoq
Asked in category: home and garden, indoor environmental quality
Last Updated: 27th Apr 2024
What is the value of old thermometers?
Douglas estimates that the Beckman thermometer could be worth anywhere from $2,000 to $3,000. Douglas estimates that the entire 18th-century collection of thermometers is worth between $2,000 and $3,000. However, she stated that antique thermometers are rarely for sale so it's difficult to estimate their exact value.
Similar, what was in the old thermometers?
A mercury thermometer is a glass tube filled with mercury. The tube has a standard temperature scale. Mercury thermometers are used to measure body, liquid, or vapor temperatures. Mercury thermometers can be used in homes, laboratories, and industrial applications.
How do you read a mercury thermometer, too? Hold the mercury thermometer between your thumb and finger until you see the point. 1. The thermometer should be held at the top and shook vigorously until it reaches the 35C (95F).
You might also be interested in mercury thermometers that can still be purchased.
Those days are gone. Twenty states have since 2001 banned mercury afever the use of thermometersa in medical applications. Regulations are tightening every year. The federal government has effectively killed the mercury thermometer in America. NIST announced that it will no more calibrate mercury thermometers.
Is mercury in thermometers a cause of death?
Brain damage may occur. High levels of exposure can lead to death. An excessive amount of inorganic Mercury can lead to severe liver damage, fluid loss, kidney disease, and death. It is very difficult to treat chronic brain damage caused by organic mercury poisoning.
17 Related Question Answers Found
When did they stop using mercury in thermostats?
January 1, 2006
Can mercury kill you if you touch it?
The most toxic is inhaling gaseous mercury. It goes straight to the brain and causes insanity. Even if mercury continues to be ingested, it will not cause insanity but it could cause kidney failure. Popping a few balls of Hg from a thermometer into your mouth isn't a good idea, but it's not likely to hurt you.
Are old mercury thermometers accurate?
Mercury thermometer are extremely repeatable and accurate over many years. You could put a working mercury thermometer in a time capsule and bury it for 10,000 years and it would still be working accurately. As long as the glass has not been cracked it will continue to function accurately.
Is the red liquid in thermometers dangerous?
That stuff is alcohol, with red dye. Nope it is not Red Mercuric oxide, so if you drink the stuff, I think your danger will be from the broken glasses, which is very, very, sharp. The things to do nowadays, is a electronic thermometer for general use. That stuff is alcohol, with red dye.
What happens if mercury touches your skin?
Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you.
How do you clean up a broken mercury thermometer?
Sprinkle sulfur powder over the contaminated area and rub it gently all over the surface and into the cracks with a paper towel. Sulfur powder binds with mercury. Use a paper towel dampened with water followed by wiping with another damp paper towel to clean up the sulfur and mercury.
Why is Mercury so dangerous?
This liquid form of mercury is especially dangerous because it vaporizes at room temperature. If mercury vapor is inhaled, it is easily absorbed by the body, where it first gets into the lungs and from there into the blood and the brain. The nerve poison can cause sleep disorders, agitation, and paralysis.
Why did they stop using mercury in thermometers?
The reason: Mercury released into the environment from a broken thermometer is highly poisonous. So government and state agencies have mounted campaigns to end the use of thermometers that contain the liquid metal. Federal and state authorities have lobbied since 2002 for bans on medical mercury thermometers.
How much mercury is toxic?
Mild, subclinical signs of central nervous system toxicity can be seen in workers exposed to an elemental mercury level in the air of 20 μg/m3 or more for several years. Kidney effects have been reported, ranging from increased protein in the urine to kidney failure.
Are mercury thermometers more accurate than digital?
Plus, mercury thermometers are more accurate in some ranges than in others. They all have to be calibrated individually because of tiny variations in the glass. Digital thermometers are, therefore, simpler, cheaper and safer. Thermometer is better than a finger for calculating temperature in liquid.
What do thermometers use instead of mercury?
Alcohol thermometer. The alcohol thermometer or spirit thermometer is an alternative to the mercury-in-glass thermometer and has similar functions. Unlike the mercury-in-glass thermometer, the contents of an alcohol thermometer are less toxic and will evaporate quickly.
Do all thermometers have mercury?
But not all thermometers with silver liquid contain mercury. If the thermometer has silver liquid and is not labeled as “mercury-free,” assume it contains mercury. The non-silver liquid-in-glass thermometers typically contain a colored alcohol.
How much does a mercury thermometer cost?
Typical costs: Glass oral thermometers cost between $1 and $15. The RG Medical Diagnostics[1] oral thermometer contains no mercury and retails for about $6. HB-Instruments[2] offers an easy-to-read thermometer with a case for $14.99.
What are the silver balls in a thermometer?
Mercury is a metal that's liquid at room temperature. It looks like silvery-white beads or balls (globules). Liquid mercury is sometimes called metallic or elemental mercury. Liquid mercury can turn into a vapour (gas), so clean up a spill as safely and quickly as possible using the tips below.
Is mercury in thermometers dangerous?
The small silvery ball in a mercury thermometer can be dangerous if the glass breaks and the mercury is not cleaned up properly. The mercury will evaporate and can contaminate the surrounding air and become toxic to humans and wildlife. Each thermometer contains about . 5-1.5 grams of mercury.
How do you measure the temperature?
One of the most common devices for measuring temperature is the glass thermometer. This consists of a glass tube filled with mercury or some other liquid, which acts as the working fluid. Temperature increase causes the fluid to expand, so the temperature can be determined by measuring the volume of the fluid.
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