Mercury is chosen for a maximum thermometer mainly because it has a:

1. A maximum thermometer must record the highest temperature reached without the liquid boiling away. 2. Mercury has a high boiling point, so it stays liquid across a wide upper range. 3. That is exactly what lets it register high temperatures reliably. 4. Its freezing point is comparatively high, which is a drawback rather than a reason, and why alcohol is used for minimum thermometers. 5. A liquid with a low expansion rate would give a cramped, hard-to-read scale, so that would count against it. _Source: NECTA CSEE 2021 Physics 031, Question 1: Multiple Choice, item (v)_