![]() Curiously, mercury does not react with iron because of their respective valence states, which is why for centuries iron flasks were the only reliable way to safely store or transport it. Along with gallium, the “other” liquid metal, it’s one of the few substances which reacts, and reacts energetically, with aluminum. Because of mercury’s density, it sinks in water, but other heavy metals such as iron can float on a pool of it! Mercury is a poor heat conductor and only a modest electrical conductor. Inorganic mercury is also a listed ACS reagent at 99.9995+% purity, making it one of the more indispensable laboratory chemicals. Its atomic symbol is Hg, from the Latin word hydrargyrum, which literally means “liquid silver.” It has a very low melting point of -38.8˚C (-37.84˚F) and its boiling point is 356˚C (672.8˚F), which means it has the lowest temperature range of any known metal. Mercury’s atomic number is 80 and it has an atomic weight of 200.59, depending on the isotope, of which seven stable isotopes are currently known along with around a dozen radioactive isotopes, two of which are used in medicine to study the liver and brain. A liquid at room temperature which can be found in nature in both raw ore and elemental form, this curious and exceedingly rare element is a heavy metal that shares many properties with noble gases. Of all the metallic elements, perhaps none is so shrouded in mystery and mystique as mercury. + What are the chemical properties of quicksilver, aka liquid mercury metal? Note additional options for this element on the Ampules section ĭomestic deliveries will be sent by surface mail to comply with federal regulations. No, there’s no such thing as “red mercury”, stop asking. International shipping on mercury varies by country but in most cases small quantities should be permitted. Restricted to laboratory use, or carefully curated by an elements collector, this remains a mesmerizingly beautiful metal without equal. Carelessly tossed on the ground it will eventually reach the water table where it combines with acids to form very harmful compounds that can pollute large areas and making cleanup a nightmare. The big danger with mercury concerns its disposal. The threat of stiff fines sharply curtailed its use outside of industry and the metal has practically vanished from consumer goods except for trace amounts in fluorescent lighting where adequate substitutes were never found. The EPA came down hard on the sale and transport of mercury when it was found at alarming levels in the environment not due to broken thermometers so much as poor industrial practices. Back in the 70's mercury was in every American home where several grams' worth was to be found in every thermometer.
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