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Why are tetrabromoethane and bromoform used in liquid gauges?
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bromine
Bromine.
Tetrabromoethane and bromoform are used as liquids in gauges primarily because of their high specific gravity.1
In instruments such as a U-tube manometer, the differential pressure is determined by the difference in height between two liquid columns multiplied by the density of the liquid. By utilizing liquids with high specific gravity, these compounds allow for more compact gauge designs, as a smaller change in height is required to measure a given pressure compared to less dense liquids like water.23