Describe the advantages and disadvantages of using mercury in a thermometer.

Benefits:
1) mercury has an accurate coefficient of linear and volumetric expansion, which makes it possible to measure temperature with high accuracy;
2) mercury has a high density, therefore, for use in thermometers, a small mass of mercury is required, which makes the thermometer compact.
Disadvantages:
1) long duration of body temperature measurement, since temperature measurement is based on heat exchange;
2) toxicity of mercury vapors that can get into the air if the thermometer is damaged.