How Do You Read Temperature Of A Mercury Thermometer?
Mercury thermometers comprise a thin glass tube willed with the element mercury, visible as a silver tip and line inside. Many agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), warn against using mercury thermometers due to mercury’s toxicity. Should the thermometer break, you have the chance of inhaling or absorbing mercury into your skin; if you break it while checking your oral temperature, you might even swallow the mercury. Use a digital thermometer for safety measures. However, if you choose to use a mercury thermometer, you can easily read its temperature. Step 1 Hold the thermometer at the opposite end of the silver tip, clean it with rubbing alcohol or soap and warm water, then rinse with cool water. Step 2 Turn the thermometer in your hand. You will see a red, blue or silver line, which will stop somewhere on the scale. Each horizontal mark leading up the length of the thermometer represents one degree. Step 3 To take a
