TERMIUM Plus®

The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.

MERCURY THERMOMETER [1 record]

Record 1 2012-03-06

English

Subject field(s)
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Weather Stations and Meteorological Instruments and Equipment
DEF

Liquid thermometer containing mercury (freezing point -38.8°C).

CONT

Air temperatures are usually measured with a mercury-in-glass thermometer. When the bulb is heated, mercury is forced further up the fine bore of the tube, and when the bulb is cooled the mercury retreats. There are now sophisticated electrical instruments for measuring temperature, but liquid-in-glass thermometers are still used for most meteorological observations.

CONT

Fahrenheit: The name of a Prussian physicist, inventor of the mercurial thermometer.

Key term(s)
  • mercury in glass thermometer
  • mercury filled thermometer

French

Domaine(s)
  • Appareils de mesure
  • Stations, instruments et équipements météorologiques
DEF

Instrument destiné au repérage des températures grâce à la dilatation du mercure contenu dans un réservoir que l'on plonge dans le milieu dont on veut connaître la température.

CONT

Les meilleurs thermomètres à liquide sont les thermomètres à mercure gradués sur tige. La graduation sur le support peut entraîner des erreurs importantes d'estimation.

OBS

Le mercure est un liquide qui se solidifie à -38,8 °C.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Instrumentos de medida
  • Estaciones, instrumentos y equipos meteorológicos
DEF

Termómetro de líquido que usa mercurio (punto de congelación: -38,8°C).

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