3 Reasons Why Digital Thermometer is Better than Normal Mercury Thermometer

Our body temperature is the signal of our health conditions. On the time we are fighting against the Covid-19, taking body temperature is necessary because high body temperature is one of the symptoms that first shows up for infected persons. When it comes to the body temp measurement devices, here comes two types of thermometers, digital thermometer, and normal mercury thermometer. The mercury thermometer has been used in our life quite much a long time, but it is being taken over by digital thermometers today. Here we would like to analyze the reasons why digital thermometers are better than normal mercury thermometers on the three aspects below.

1. Faster results for body temperature measurement

The digital thermometer provides our body temperature measurement results much faster than the mercury thermometer. Firstly, we need to know how it works. Just as the same theory of infrared temperature gun, most of the digital thermometers are fast on gauging our body temperature by using electronic circuits. When our body temperature increases, it energizes the circuits with electric flows which strengthens the amperage. The more powerful amperage it is, the higher the calculated temperature results it is. With the development of technology, there are thermometers that utilize microelectronic mechanical systems (MEMS). This thermometer operates similarly to a bimetallic strip and makes our body temperature measurement even faster in 15-20 seconds.

On the other side, Mercury thermometers are designed utilizing the idea that mercury expands with heat. When we are using the mercury thermometer for body temperature measurement, the mercury store in the base of the thermometer expands and raises in the narrow tube. With the mercury level shows on the calibration, we can read the measurement results. Usually, this process has to be 5-10 mins. It is weight much longer than digital thermometers.

2. Better accuracy for temperature measurement results

The digital thermometer is not only faster on body temperature measurement results providing, but also better accuracy results to us. Based on the tested records of the experiments, the accuracy of a digital thermometer could be 0.1℃. The accuracy is better than the normal mercury thermometer. Since the digital thermometer is installed a thermocouple sensor inside the probe, it is effective to measure our body temperature degrees with very high accuracy without calibration as the mercury thermometer.

The mercury thermometer is manufactured and tested before it is marked with a standard calibration on the tube. It needs to be adjusted or re-calibrated so that it provides the proper reading. In doing so, the thermometer is placed in a boiling hot or ice-cold bath for adjustment using the temperatures. Based on the reason, the mercury thermometers are easy to be affected by the surrounding temperature, and to the accuracy.

3. Safer for use for house living

The digital thermometers are composed of rubber, hard plastic, and PET material. It is safer than the mercury thermometer for use for house living. When we take the temperature for babies or children, the digital thermometer would be our first choice because it is fast and accurate for providing measurement results, what’s more, it is no damageable worries to us. Most of the digital thermometers are designed with flexible probes on the top, this makes our temperature measurement much convenient at home.     

Mercury thermometers are most often made of glass, which contained mercury on the probe to gauge the temperature. However, glass is very fragile. It can easily be broken into using. Mercury is a toxic chemical, it could contaminate the human body as well as surrounding areas when released, rendering it unsafe afterward. It is also difficult to clean up. Based on these reasons, mercury thermometers are being phased out by numbers of countries and not allowed to be sold to customers due to the hazard they pose.

To sum up the three reasons above, we can see the digital thermometer has advantages over mercury thermometer on faster results providing, better accuracy and safer usage. Choosing a good digital thermometer is a good choice for house living. In the end, it is recommendable to go to our online store for our new medical products such as KN95 mask. All our products are CE and FDA certificated, you may contact us if you have interests in our digital thermometers. Anyway, we need to focus on our health and go to the hospital immediately if any disease symptoms show on our bodies.

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