When two objects at different temperatures are placed in contact, heat flows from the hotter object to the colder object until they reach the same temperature and are in thermal equilibrium. Thermal equilibrium occurs when the net heat flow between the objects is zero, meaning they are the same temperature. A liquid-in-glass thermometer works by having mercury in a bulb expand up a capillary tube when heated; the distance it travels corresponds to temperature scales defined by fixed points like ice and steam. Mercury is suitable for thermometers because it conducts heat well and expands uniformly with temperature.