Liquid-in-glass thermometers, in particular mercury thermometers, have been around for almost 300 years.

Thermometer relies on the expansion of a liquid with temperature.

Liquid is contained in a sealed glass bulb and it expands into the fine bore in the thermometer stem. Temperature is read using a scale etched along the stem.

Advantages: 

Disadavantages:

• Limited accuracy and temperature range covered
• Requires visual reading and is not easy to automate

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• Temperature measurement
  
• Introducing temperature measurement
• Types of thermometer
• Temperature measurements in healthcare
• Temperature measurement in practice