Pick a type of thermometer. How does it work? Suppose you used water in a thermometer instead of mercury, why might this be a problem at 4 degrees Fahrenheit?
2 answers
The water would be ice, expand, and break the glass
If you have a thermometer with liquid in it that expands as it warms (for example Mercury), it fills more of the thermometer tube as it expands. Ice would be unfortunate and if the thermometer were glass with water in it it would probably break as the water froze around 32 degrees F.
1 answer