Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #01006
To: Zulu 35 zulu35@singnet.com.sg
From: James Wilson jameswilson@globalserve.net
Date: Thu, 25 Feb 1999 19:16:00 -0500
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: mercury switches
You must have seen a mercury thermometer? Thermostats used in heating cooling
are a good place to look for mercury switches this is what their primary
function is. In addition to gravity having an effect temperature does as
well. The mercury expands when it is heated like in a thermomiter and this is
used to trigger hvac systems.
James
Zulu 35 wrote:
> oic... great.... now where can i find such a switch,.. or a similar one?
>
> ----------
> > From: Justin
> > To: beam@corp.sgi.com
> > Subject: Re: mercury switches
> > Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 12:08 AM
> >
> > > hi all... jus a simple question... wat in the world is a mercury
> switch??
> >
> > A tilt switch or angle switch.
> > Mercury conducts, so if you put a drop of it in a tube, and at one end
> > of the tube put two contacts (that are not touching), they become a
> > switch that closes when the tube is held so that the contacts-end is
> > lower than the rest of the tube, mercury rolls down tube and connects
> > the contacts together. Other arrangements of contacts allow for other
> > switching actions.
> >
> > (I've played with great old thing that must have had at least a cubic
> > centimeter of mercury in it, very heavy. It was arranged with three
> > contacts in a row, but spaced far enough apart that the mercury couldn't
> > connect all three at once - so the middle terminal was connected to one
> > or other terminals depnding on the angle.)
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