A student collected the data shown in the table below during an experiment. Liquid Characteristics
LiquidCharacteristics
Boiling Point Freezing PointColorRate of Evaporation
Mercury357 °C−39 °Cshiny silver graynegligible
Alcohol78 °C−115 °Ccolorless rapid

Based on the data, which of the following conclusions can be made about the use of mercury and alcohol thermometers?
An alcohol thermometer can measure the freezing point of a liquid that freezes at −80 °C.
An alcohol thermometer can measure a wider range of temperatures in a laboratory.
An alcohol thermometer is more reliable to measure the temperature of a liquid in a beaker that is 80 °C.
An alcohol thermometer is better to measure the boiling points of colorless liquids.

An alcohol thermometer can measure the freezing point of a liquid that freezes at −80 °C.

Explanation:

A thermometer is a device used to measure temperature. A thermometer must contain a thermometric substance. A thermometric substance is any substance having a particular physical property that changes with temperature.

For all liquid-in-glass thermometers, the property that changes with change in temperature is the height of the liquid. There are two kinds of liquid-in-glass thermometers; mercury-in-glass thermometer and alcohol-in-glass thermometer.

Alcohol-in-glass thermometer measures very low temperatures up to as low as -115°C. If it measures such a low temperature, then it can efficiently measure -80°C hence the answer.

Alcohol-in-glass thermometers have a narrower temperature range than mercury-in-glass thermometer. The later is well adapter for the measurement bof higher tempetures up to 357°C.