How amalgam works

Silver amalgam is commonly used as the working medium in mercury barometers and thermometers, and is widely used in high-precision scientific experiments, thermodynamic measurements, medical precision measurement, etc. In addition, silver amalgam is also commonly used as a metal conductor in electronic components, and in superconducting magnets in low-temperature physics experiments.
Silver-mercury alloy is an alloy made of two metals, silver and mercury. The principle is to mix silver and mercury in a certain proportion within a certain temperature range so that their molecules dissolve in each other to form a homogeneous mixture. During the formation of the alloy, electrons are exchanged between silver atoms and mercury atoms, forming a solid solution of a certain proportion. The eutectic point of silver and mercury is about −38.9 °C. When the temperature is higher than the eutectic point, the alloy becomes liquid, and when the temperature is lower than the eutectic point, the alloy becomes solid. Silver-mercury alloy has certain special properties, such as strong conductivity, small expansion coefficient, good reflective performance, etc., and is often used in electronic components, reflectors, pyrometers, etc.