Quote:
Originally posted by thisisadot.
Hmm I think you are mistaken.
1] Murcury isn't red it's silver
2] Mercury is toxic (ewwww)
3] Mercury is friggin heavy (Poor pumps)
4] Mercury is damn expensive (He wanted to save $$ right?)
Sorry if this seemed like a flame... just randomly staing stuff
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Ya'll are right, to a certain extent.
There are mercury thermometers out there which are topped off with alcohol (the red part).
The oxide of mercury is an orange powder.
It is extremely toxic!!! I repeat, it is extremely toxic, and I mean, don't even breathe the stuff!
Although it is very heavy (high density), it is actually less visquous than water, and would actually pump extremely well. Pumps are sensitive to viscosity, not density.
Mercury being toxic, it is not only expensive to buy, it is expensive to ship, since it falls under the category of hazardous cargo, and also because of its sheer weight.
On the surfactant issue, a surfactant (like soap) makes the water less dense, so it helps to make it flow nicer. It also decreases the surface tension, so that the water doesn't cling to tubes, or block walls.