Contents

Mercury (element)

General

Name, Symbol, NumberMercury, Hg, 80
Chemical series transition metals
Group, Period, Block12 (IIB)[?], 6 , d
Density, Hardness 13579.04 kg/m3, 1.5
Appearance Silvery white
Atomic Properties

Atomic weight 200.59 amu
Atomic radius (calc.) 150 (171) pm
Covalent radius 149 pm
van der Waals radius 155 pm
Electron configuration [Xe]4f14 5d10 6s2
e- 's per energy level2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2
Oxidation states (Oxide) 2, 1 (mildly basic)
Crystal structure Rhombohedral
Physical Properties

State of matter Liquid (__)
Melting point 234.32 K (-37.89 °F)
Boiling point 629.88 K (674.11 °F)
Molar volume 14.09 ×10-3 m3/mol
Heat of vaporization 59.229 kJ/mol
Heat of fusion 2.295 kJ/mol
Vapor pressure 0.0002 Pa at 234 K
Speed of sound 1407 m/s at 293.15 K
Miscellaneous

Electronegativity 2.00 (Pauling scale)
Specific heat capacity 140 J/(kg*K)
Electrical conductivity 1.04 106/m ohm
Thermal conductivity 8.34 W/(m*K)
1st ionization potential 1007.1 kJ/mol
2nd ionization potential 1810 kJ/mol
3rd ionization potential 3300 kJ/mol
Most Stable Isotopes

isoNAhalf-life DMDE MeVDP
194Hg{syn.}444 y ε0.040194Au
196Hg0.15%Hg is stable with 116 neutrons
198Hg9.97%Hg is stable with 118 neutrons
199Hg16.87%Hg is stable with 119 neutrons
200Hg23.1%Hg is stable with 120 neutrons
201Hg13.18%Hg is stable with 121 neutrons
202Hg29.86%Hg is stable with 122 neutrons
204Hg6.87%Hg is stable with 124 neutrons
SI units & STP are used except where noted.
Mercury, also called quicksilver, is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. A heavy, silvery, toxic, transition metal, mercury is the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures and is used in thermometers, barometers and other scientific apparatus. Mercury is mostly obtained by reduction from the mineral cinnabar.

Table of contents
1 Notable Characteristics
2 Applications
3 History
4 Occurrence
5 Compounds
6 Isotopes
7 Precautions
8 External Links

     Notable Characteristics  

Mercury is a heavy, silvery-white univalent and bivalent transition metal that is a relatively poor conductor of heat but a decent conductor of electricity and is the only common metal that is liquid at room temperature (forming an opaque glistening liquid).

Mercury easily forms alloys with almost all common metals, including gold and silver but not iron. These alloys are collectively called amalgams.

The freezing point of mercury is -40 ° Celsius which is the same as -40 ° Fahrenheit. This is the only point at which these two temperature scales coincide.

This metal also has uniform volumetric thermal expansion, is less reactive than zinc and cadmium and does not displace hydrogen from acids. Common oxidation states of this element are; mercurous, or +1, and mercuric, or +2. Rare instances of +3 mercury compounds exist.
     Applications  

Most mercury is used for the manufacture of industrial chemicals and for electrical and electronic applications. In addition, mercury is widely used in thermometers, especially ones which are used to measure high temperatures. Other uses;

Miscellaneous uses; mercury switches, pesticides, dental amalgams/preparations, cercury cells for caustic soda and chlorine production, anti-fouling paint, electrode in some types of electrolysis, batteries (mercury cells), and catalysts.
     History  

Mercury was known to the ancient Chinese and Hindus and was found in Egyptian tombs that date from 1500s BC. By 500 BC it was used to make amalgams with other metals. The ancient Greeks used this toxic metal in ointments and the Romans used it in cosmetics. Alchemists thought it to be the stuff from which all matter was formed and they also thought that when it hardened it turned into gold.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, mercury nitrate was used to remove fur from the animal skins from which felt hats were made. This caused many cases of brain-damage among hatters, or milliners, leading, it is claimed, to the simile "as mad as a hatter".

It was named by alchemists after the Roman god Mercury. Its symbol Hg comes from hydrargyrum, a Latinised form of the Greek word hydrargyros, which was a compound word whose Greek roots meant 'water' and 'silver'. Mercury is one of the few elements that has an alchemical symbol[?]. If you have the right browser and font to support Unicode, you should see the symbol here: ☿.

     Occurrence  

A rare element in the earth's crust, mercury is found either as a native metal (rare) or in cinnabar, corderoite[?], livingstonite[?], and other minerals with cinnabar (HgS) being the most common ore. Approximately 50% of the global supply comes from Spain and Italy with much of the rest coming from Yugoslavia, Russia, and North America. The metal is extracted by heating cinnabar in a current of air and by condensing the vapor.
     Compounds  

The most important salts are;

Organic mercury compounds are also important. Laboratory test have found that electrical discharge causes the noble gases neon, argon, krypton, and xenon to combine with mercury vapor. The products of this combination are held together with van der Waals' forces[?] and result in; HgNe, HgAr, HgKr, and HgXe. Methyl mercury[?] is a dangerous compound that is widely found as a pollutant in water bodies and streams.
     Isotopes  

There are seven stable isotopes of mercury with Hg-202 being the most abundant (26.86%). The longest-lived radioisotopes are Hg-194 with a half-life of 444 years, and Hg-203 with a half-life of 46.612 days. Most of the remaining radioisotopes have half-lifes that are less than a day.
     Precautions  

Mercury is highly toxic in both liquid and gaseous forms. This is a toxic heavy metal, that causes brain and liver damage if it is ingested. For this reason, thermometers which are only intended to measure typical climatic temperatures now use pigmented alcohol instead. The commercial unit for handling mercury is the "flask," which weighs 76 lb.

Mercury is a very dangerous bioacumulative toxin that is easily absorbed through skin, respiratory and gastrointestinal tissues. Mercury attacks the central nervous system and adversely affects the mouth, gums, and teeth. High exposure over long periods of time will result in brain damage and ultimately death. Air saturated with mercury vapor at room temperature is at a concentration many times the toxic level (the danger is increased at higher temperatures). Mercury should therefore be handled with great care. Containers of mercury need to be covered securely to avoid spillage and sublimation. Heating of mercury or mercury compounds should always be done under a well-ventilated hood.

     External Links