Table of Contents

1. What is mercury element?

2. When was the element mercury discovered?

3. What is the element mercury used for?

4. What does the element mercury look like?

 

Mercury is a chemical element that is also known as quicksilver. It has an atomic number(Z) 80. It is represented by the symbol Hg (hydrargyrum) and it has an atomic mass of 200.592 g/ mol. It is a d-block element and it is in group 12 and period 6 of the periodic table. The electronic configuration of mercury is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2. There are 80 electrons and has 120 neutrons in an electrically neutral atom of mercury. The oxidation state of mercury is −2, +1, +2 and its electronegativity is 2.00 (Pauling scale). There are 7 stable isotopes of mercury. Hg-202 is the most abundant among them.

Mercury is white silvery in appearance and liquid at STP. It has a density of 13.534 g/cm3. Its melting point is 234.3210 K ?(−38.8290 °C, ?−37.8922 °F) and its boiling point is 629.88 K ?(356.73 °C, ?674.11 °F).

Mercury has an abundance of about 0.08 ppm in the Earth's crust. It could be extracted from different minerals such as livingstonite, corderoite, cinnabar and sphalerite. China is the top producer of mercury followed by Kyrgyzstan.

Mercury has applications in electronic and industrial chemicals. Some of the following are:

A highly frictional sensitive compound of mercury, Mercury(II) fulminate is used in cartridges in firearms. It is used as a primary explosive to start the reaction. It is used in various lab devices such as barometers, diffusion pumps and coulometers. Oganomercury compound thiomersal is widely used in cosmetics like mascara.

It is also used in gaseous form in lamps such as mercury-vapour lamps. In X-ray crystallography mercury(II) chloride or potassium tetraiodomercurate(II)  can be added to protein crystals. It is also used in the production of chlorine and caustic soda. In dentistry, it is used in fillings as a dental amalgam.

 

When was the element mercury discovered?

 

The discovery of mercury is unknown. On the other side, Egyptians used it before 1500 BC and it was discovered in tombs in Egypt. In China, it was thought that mercury prolongs life and maintain good health. The Greeks used it in ointments as Cinnabar. It is also discovered in various places of the Maya civilization.

 

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What is the element mercury used for?

 

  1. Electronics:

Mercury has applications in electronic and industrial chemicals. It is used in fluorescent lamps. It is also used in gaseous form in lamps such as mercury-vapour lamps.

 

  1. Firearms:

A highly frictional sensitive compound of mercury, Mercury(II) fulminate is used in cartridges in firearms. It is used as a primary explosive to start the reaction.

 

  1. Lab instruments:

It is used in various lab devices such as barometers, diffusion pumps and coulometers. Oganomercury compound thiomersal is widely used in cosmetics like mascara.

 

  1. Crystallography:

In X-ray crystallography mercury(II) chloride or potassium tetraiodomercurate(II)  can be added to protein crystals.

 

  1. Chlorine Production:

It is also used in the production of chlorine and caustic soda.

 

  1. Dentistry:

In dentistry, it is used in fillings as a dental amalgam.

what does the element mercury look like.jpg

 

What does the element mercury look like?

 

At standard temperature and pressure, it is in a liquid state and has a shinny silvery appearance.

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