Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Help! thermometer mercury separated

beastmaster - 19-6-2011 at 23:24

My last thermometer is defective because the mercury(or Alc.)separated, with some in the tip and most down where it belongs. I tryed shaking it out and heating it, but nothen works so far. I seem to remember a method to fix this but can't remember what or how its done. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Arthur Dent - 20-6-2011 at 03:55

How far does your thermometer goes, I mean what's the lowest temperature it can read?

Try to get a hold of dry ice and a bit of acetone, put both in a small beaker and dip the bulb of your thermometer in it. If all goes well, all of the mercury should go all the way down to the bulb and when you bring it back to room temperature, there shouldn't be any separation in your mercury thermometer's capillary.

Robert

ScienceSquirrel - 20-6-2011 at 04:39

You can do it by holding the thermometer by the bulb end and tapping the top gently on the palm of your hand.
The alcohol will break up in to tiny droplets and fall back on to the column.

The WiZard is In - 20-6-2011 at 06:45

Quote: Originally posted by beastmaster  
My last thermometer is defective because the mercury(or Alc.)separated, with some in the tip and most down where it belongs. I tryed shaking it out and heating it, but nothen works so far. I seem to remember a method to fix this but can't remember what or how its done. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks.

Try putting it in your freezer.


djh
----
The Dark Side of Amateur Experimentalism

New version of OxyContin
New York Times 16vi11

Though many addicts appear frustrated by
the reformulation ….. an addiction
medicine specialist…. Said that people
would figure out how to abuse the new
OxyContin.

“I like to think of them as drug addicts
in white lab coats,” he said….

[Recovering addict] …. It was possible
to snort the new OxyContin but it took
an about an hour to break it down.

“It’s like doing a science project,” he said,
“sitting there with a scraper, a knife, a
razor blade, like it’s a frog or something.”





PHILOU Zrealone - 20-6-2011 at 09:38

Or maybe the other way arround...go to full scale high temp and then slowly cool down.
Don't go too high over the maximum temp because your thermometer may explode.