How do I know if it is a mercury thermometer or not?

Question

It was a thermometer for a fish tank, and broke. It solidified and beaded up. I cannot find any silver balls of mercury anywhere. All the windows in that room are open and the a/c is on full blast & cold just incase. But how do I know if it was an alternative or the mercury kind?

Answer 1

Ofcourse its a mercury thermometer... Any silver colour thermometer is mercury itself...

Answer 2

Buy another one of the same brand and look at it. If it is silver colour,defionitely it is mercury.If it has another colour,it may be alcohol

Answer 3

ya! peter is right!

Answer 4

it was mercury all right

Answer 5

the only thermometer material of a silver colour in use is mercury you wont find the silver balls as the combine with dust etc you do not need to have the air conditioning on full blast as this is circulating the mercury vapour around the room faster do you have a woodfloor under the carpet is the backing rubberised  you dont need all the windows open at fully just enough to allow a gentleflow of air and follow my original advice asap