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Why is mercury not used?
The reason: Mercury released into the environment from a broken thermometer is highly poisonous. So government and state agencies have mounted campaigns to end the use of thermometers that contain the liquid metal. Federal and state authorities have lobbied since 2002 for bans on medical mercury thermometers.
When did mercury stop being used?
Mercury is a brand of The Ford Motor Company (F) that was in existence for 70 years. Ford ended the production of the model in the fourth quarter of 2010. Mercury was originally created to offer Ford customers a premium vehicle.
Do we still use mercury today?
For centuries the metal was also used in medicine. Even fairly recently it was still used in antiseptics, laxatives, anti-depressants, and drugs to combat syphilis. Most adults will have used mercury thermometers, and many of us still have mercury amalgam fillings in our teeth.
Can you still use a mercury thermometer?
Although mercury thermometers have been mostly phased out of daily home use, the tool, which was invented in the 1700s by Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit, remains a standard measuring device for many industries, including regulating the temperature of a chemical concoction being made in an industrial lab, and monitoring the …
What was mercury used to cure?
Mercury was in use by the early 16th century, and remained the primary treatment for syphilis until the early 20th century. Syphilis led to stigmatizing disfigurations that were treated with surgery, including pioneering attempts in rhinoplasty.
What does mercury do to the human body?
However, when elemental mercury is ingested, little is absorbed into the body. The inhalation of elemental mercury vapours can cause neurological and behavioural disorders, such as tremors, emotional instability, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular changes and headaches. They can also harm the kidneys and thyroid.
What can replace mercury?
However, scientists have developed a range of mercury-free battery alternatives, including lithium, silver and alkaline batteries, which can perform just as well as their mercury-containing counterparts, although they may come with their own, separate environmental challenges.
How is mercury used in our everyday lives?
For most of us, mercury is some chemical substance that we have nothing to do with and it doesn’t really affect our lives. Or does it… Mercury is used today in a wide variety of products and processes. It is used (although with less and less frequency) in batteries, in thermometers, in fluorescent lights,…
How long does it take for one day on Mercury?
Mercury likes to keep things simple. This small planet spins around slowly compared to Earth, so one day lasts a long time. Mercury takes 59 Earth days to make one full rotation. A year on Mercury goes by fast. Because it’s the closest planet to the sun, it doesn’t take very long to go all the way around.
How is the surface of mercury different from Earth?
It has a solid surface that is covered with craters. It has no atmosphere, and it doesn’t have any moons. Mercury likes to keep things simple. This small planet spins around slowly compared to Earth, so one day lasts a long time. Mercury takes 59 Earth days to make one full rotation. A year on Mercury goes by fast.
How often does Mercury revolution around the Sun?
It completes one revolution around the sun in just 88 Earth days. If you lived on Mercury, you’d have a birthday every three months! A day on Mercury is not like a day here on Earth.