| Mercury |
|
80Hg
|
|
|
| Appearance |
silvery
Spectral lines of mercury (UV not seen) |
| General properties |
| Name, symbol, number |
mercury, Hg, 80 |
| Pronunciation |
/?m?rkj?ri/ MER-ky?-ree;
/?kw?ks?lv?r/;
/ha??dr?rd??r?m/ hy-DRAR-ji-r?m |
| Metallic category |
transition metal |
| Group, period, block |
12, 6, d |
| Standard atomic weight |
200.59(2) |
| Electron configuration |
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2
2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2
|
| History |
| Discovery |
Ancient Chinese and Indians (before 2000 BC) |
| Physical properties |
| Phase |
liquid |
| Density (near r.t.) |
13.534 g·cm?3 |
| Melting point |
234.3210 K,??38.8290 °C,?
?37.8922 °F |
| Boiling point |
629.88 K,?356.73 °C,?674.11 °F |
| Triple point |
234.3156 K (-39°C), 1.65×10?7 kPa |
| Critical point |
1750 K, 172.00 MPa |
| Heat of fusion |
2.29 kJ·mol?1 |
| Heat of vaporization |
59.11 kJ·mol?1 |
| Molar heat capacity |
27.983 J·mol?1·K?1 |
| Vapor pressure |
| P (Pa) |
1 |
10 |
100 |
1 k |
10 k |
100 k |
| at T (K) |
315 |
350 |
393 |
449 |
523 |
629 |
|
| Atomic properties |
| Oxidation states |
4, 2 (mercuric), 1 (mercurous)
(mildly basic oxide) |
| Electronegativity |
2.00 (Pauling scale) |
| Ionization energies |
1st: 1007.1 kJ·mol?1 |
| 2nd: 1810 kJ·mol?1 |
| 3rd: 3300 kJ·mol?1 |
| Atomic radius |
151 pm |
| Covalent radius |
132±5 pm |
| Van der Waals radius |
155 pm |
| Miscellanea |
| Crystal structure |
rhombohedral
|
| Magnetic ordering |
diamagnetic[1] |
| Electrical resistivity |
(25 °C) 961n?·m |
| Thermal conductivity |
8.30 W·m?1·K?1 |
| Thermal expansion |
(25 °C) 60.4 µm·m?1·K?1 |
| Speed of sound |
(liquid, 20 °C) 1451.4 m·s?1 |
| CAS registry number |
7439-97-6 |
| Most stable isotopes |
| Main article: Isotopes of mercury |
|
|
|
· r |
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum (from Greek "hydr-" water and "argyros" silver). A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature. With a freezing point of ?38.83 °C and boiling point of 356.73 °C, mercury has one of the narrowest ranges of its liquid state of any metal.[2][3][4]
Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world mostly as cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). The red pigment vermilion,
a pure form of mercuric sulfide, is mostly obtained by reaction of
mercury (produced by reduction from cinnabar) with sulfur. Cinnabar is
highly toxic by ingestion or inhalation of the dust. Mercury poisoning can also result from exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury), inhalation of mercury vapor, or eating seafood contaminated with mercury.
Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches,
and other devices though concerns about the element's toxicity have led
to mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being largely phased out
in clinical environments in favor of alcohol-filled, galinstan-filled, digital, or thermistor-based instruments. It remains in use in scientific research applications and in amalgam material for dental restoration. It is used in lighting: electricity passed through mercury vapor in a fluorescent lamp produces short-wave ultraviolet light which then causes the phosphor in the tube to fluoresce, making visible light. |
