Mercury Element Facts

Mercury is the only metal that is known to exist in liquid form naturally. The discovery of mercury was made thousands of years ago, and traces of the element can even be found in Egyptian tombs that date back to the year 1500 B.C. Mercury is silvery-white in appearance and can exist at room temperature in a liquid state. This makes it a unique and one of a kind metal, and anyone who sees mercury for the first time cannot help being fascinated by its incredible nature. The number of facts, of this element, that are known today have been known to us for many many years, and this has enabled human beings to put mercury to some incredibly vital uses.

In ancient time, mercury was known as 'quicksilver', which roughly implied that the silver was alive. The origins of this name can be based on the fact that when liquid mercury is poured on a flat surface, it forms distinct small beads that move around as if they are alive. Before chemistry became a standardized field of study, mercury must have surely been a great source of mystery and amazement for people. It took a long time to establish some accurate facts, and for a long period of time, mercury was actually feared by human beings due to its strange unique nature.

Uses of Mercury
Liquid mercury facts make this chemical element extremely useful to human beings, and it is used for a myriad of purposes. Given below are some of the most common uses of the mercury element:

• Used in manometers, thermometers and barometers
• Used in mercury vapor lamps. Most street lamps contain mercury
• Used for the production of sodium hydroxide and chlorine
• Used in some electric batteries
• Used in dental silver amalgam fillings

Mercury in the Periodic Table
Group 3 - group 12 in the Periodic Table consists of elements that are known as 'transition metals', and mercury falls in this category. Seeing it in front of your eyes, it is quite easy to understand that this is a metal unlike any other metal. All transition metals have the property of being ductile, and can be easily bent or shaped into a variety of different shapes. Mercury is no different, and its malleability is one of the most well-known facts. Surprisingly, mercury does not conduct heat nor electricity, on the contrary, mercury is an extremely poor conductor of heat, and a moderate conductor of electricity.

The following table will give you some more physical facts about mercury.

Property	Element Facts
Symbol	Hg
Atomic number	80
Number of protons/electrons	80
Number of neutrons	121
Atomis mass	200.59 amu
Classification	Transition metal
Crystal structure	Rhombohedral
Melting point	-38.87°C
Boiling point	356.58°C
Density @ 293 K	13.456 g/cm3
Number of energy levels	6
Atomic radius	157 per molecule
Atomic volume	14.8 cm3/molecule

Interesting Facts About Mercury
Now these were some physical and chemical properties about mercury as it appears in nature. No matter what happens, they will not change, as the stability of the element is standardized no matter where it is found, or how it is derived. If you're wondering to yourself about what are cool facts about the element mercury, then please read the following:

• Mercury has extremely strong reflective powers and is regularly used to make mirrors.
• Even though mercury is in liquid state, it can be held in the hand. Doing so on bare unprotected hands is not advisable though, as the mercury will seep through the skin.
• Mercury does not combine with any metal except for oxygen, and that too at an extremely high temperature, and under a large amount of pressure.
• If mercury is combined with nitric acid and alcohol, it results in mercuric fulminate. This compound is very volatile in nature, and is also explosive.
• Heavy items, like cannonballs, bricks, and iron actually float on mercury.
• Some shellfish and fish actually store mercury in their muscles, making them poisonous to eat.
• Inhaling vapors of mercury, or swallowing compounds of mercury is extremely dangerous. It is recommended that mercury must never be left lying around in the open as it evaporates slowly into the air.

These are just a few facts that highlight the uniqueness of this metal. Though it is not a rare element in nature, the properties and characteristics and facts means it always has a great level of demand for a variety of purposes, and also for the pure fascination that it evokes.