Conceptual Physics (12th Edition)

Published by Addison-Wesley
ISBN 10: 0321909100
ISBN 13: 978-0-32190-910-7

Chapter 15 - Think and Explain - Page 299-300: 53

Answer

Mercury must have a higher rate of expansion than the glass. Since the mercury rises with temperature, the volume of mercury present is growing faster than the volume of the hollow channel in the glass. If the expansion rates were identical, the reading would not change with temperature.
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