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Mercury is a chemical element; it has symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum (/ h aɪ ˈ d r ɑːr dʒ ər ə m / hy-DRAR-jər-əm) from the Greek words hydor ' water ' and argyros ' silver ', from which its chemical symbol is derived. [8]
Element Mercury (Hg), Group 12, Atomic Number 80, d-block, Mass 200.592. Sources, facts, uses, scarcity (SRI), podcasts, alchemical symbols, videos and images.
Mercury is the 80th element in the periodic table and has a symbol of Hg and atomic number of 80. It has an atomic weight of 200.592 and a mass number of 202. Mercury has eighty protons and one hundred twenty-two neutrons in its nucleus, and eighty electrons in six shells.
- 80
- 12
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- Overview
- Properties, uses, and occurrence
mercury (Hg), chemical element, liquid metal of Group 12 (IIb, or zinc group) of the periodic table.
Mercury was known in Egypt and also probably in the East as early as 1500 bce. The name mercury originated in 6th-century alchemy, in which the symbol of the planet was used to represent the metal; the chemical symbol Hg derives from the Latin hydrargyrum, “liquid silver.” Although its toxicity was recognized at an early date, its main application was for medical purposes.
Mercury is the only elemental metal that is liquid at room temperature. (Cesium melts at about 28.5 °C [83 °F], gallium at about 30 °C [86 °F], and rubidium at about 39 °C [102 °F].) Mercury is silvery white, slowly tarnishes in moist air, and freezes into a soft solid like tin or lead at −38.83 °C (−37.89 °F). It boils at 356.62 °C (673.91 °F).
It alloys with copper, tin, and zinc to form amalgams, or liquid alloys. An amalgam with silver is used as a filling in dentistry. Mercury does not wet glass or cling to it, and this property, coupled with its rapid and uniform volume expansion throughout its liquid range, made it useful in thermometers. (Mercury thermometers were supplanted by more accurate electronic digital thermometers in the early 21st century.) Barometers and manometers also used its high density and low vapour pressure. However, mercury’s toxicity has led to its replacement in these instruments. Gold and silver dissolve readily in mercury, and in the past this property was used in the extraction of these metals from their ores.
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The good electrical conductivity of mercury makes it exceptionally useful in sealed electrical switches and relays. An electrical discharge through mercury vapour contained in a fused silica tube or bulb produces a bluish glow rich in ultraviolet light, a phenomenon exploited in ultraviolet, fluorescent, and high-pressure mercury-vapour lamps. Some mercury is used in the preparation of pharmaceuticals and agricultural and industrial fungicides.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Nov 21, 2020 · Mercury is a chemical element with atomic number 80 which means there are 80 protons and 80 electrons in the atomic structure. The chemical symbol for Mercury is Hg . Mercury is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum.
Jul 30, 2020 · Mercury is atomic number 80 with element symbol Hg. Here is a collection of mercury element facts, including its properties, history, and uses. Mercury is the only metal that is a liquid element at room temperature.
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Atomic Number of Mercury is 80. Chemical symbol for Mercury is Hg. Number of protons in Mercury is 80. Atomic weight of Mercury is 200.592 u or g/mol. Melting point of Mercury is -38,9 °C and its the boiling point is 356,6 °C. » Boiling Point » Melting Point » Abundant » State at STP » Discovery Year. About Mercury.
