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Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure. ... Mercury has a unique electron configuration which strongly resists removal of an electron, making it behave similarly to noble gas elements. As a result, mercury forms weak bonds and is a liquid at room temperature.
- What makes mercury unusual?
- Is mercury an unusual metal?
- Why do we consider mercury as metal?
- What properties of mercury make it a metal?
- Why is Mercury different from Earth?
- What happens if mercury touches gold?
- Can you touch mercury with your hands?
- How does mercury exist in nature?
- Is mercury legal to own?
- Why mercury is called Quicksilver?
- Which properties best describes the element mercury?
- What is the purpose of mercury?
- Is mercury corrosive to metal?
What makes mercury unusual?
Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, rotates three times on its axis every two of its years. ... Despite having temperatures that are hot enough to melt lead, the tilt of the planet's axis allows for ice to exist at its poles.
Is mercury an unusual metal?
Mercury is a shiny, silvery, liquid metal, sometimes called quicksilver. It is a transition metal with atomic number 80 on the periodic table and an atomic weight of 200.59, and its element symbol is Hg. While it's an extremely rare element, there's a world of interesting information about mercury.
Why do we consider mercury as metal?
Mercury is also sometimes called quicksilver or liquid silver. ... Mercury is classified as a "Transition Metal" as it is ductile, malleable, and is able to conduct heat and electricity.
What properties of mercury make it a metal?
Mercury has a relatively high vapour pressure and the highest volatility of any metal, vapourizing to become a colourless, odourless gas. The metal is a fair conductor of electricity, but a poor conductor of heat. Mercury's atomic number is 80.
Why is Mercury different from Earth?
While both are terrestrial in nature, Mercury is significantly smaller and less massive than Earth, though it has a similar density. Mercury's composition is also much more metallic than that of Earth, and its 3:2 orbital resonance results in a single day being twice as long as a year.
What happens if mercury touches gold?
Freddie Mercury may have had the golden voice, but real mercury, that endlessly entertaining and dangerous liquid metal, has the golden touch. That is, if it touches gold it will immediately break the lattice bonds of the precious metal and form an alloy in a process known as amalgamation.
Can you touch mercury with your hands?
Mercury is a very toxic or poisonous substance that people can be exposed to in several ways. If it is swallowed, like from a broken thermometer, it mostly passes through your body and very little is absorbed. If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you.
How does mercury exist in nature?
In its inorganic form, mercury occurs abundantly in the environment, primarily as the minerals cinnabar and metacinnabar, and as impurities in other minerals. Mercury can readily combine with chlorine, sulfur, and other elements, and subsequently weather to form inorganic salts.
Is mercury legal to own?
Mercury Control Laws in California
California law restricts the level of mercury in some products (such as general purpose lights and packaging), and bans the sale of other mercury-containing products outright (such as mercury-containing thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, etc.).
Why mercury is called Quicksilver?
The symbol Hg that mercury is known by comes from its Greek name, hydrargyrum, which means "liquid silver" — to reflect its shiny surface. The element is also known as quicksilver for its mobility. Named after the fastest-moving planet in the solar system, mercury has been known to humanity for ages.
Which properties best describes the element mercury?
Mercury is the only common metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures. Mercury is sometimes called quicksilver. It is a heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. It is a rather poor conductor of heat if compared with other metals but it is a fair conductor of electricity.
What is the purpose of mercury?
Mercury is used primarily for the manufacture of industrial chemicals or for electrical and electronic applications. It is used in some liquid-in-glass thermometers, especially those used to measure high temperatures.
Is mercury corrosive to metal?
It has been shown that metallic mercury reacts with many environments to a sufficient extent to produce compounds that are corrosive to commercial metals. It has been demonstrated that concentrations of mercury compounds as low as 0.5 ppm constitute a serious corrosion hazard for a variety of useful metals and alloys.
