were notorious for the suffering of the miners， mercury has been used medicinally for centuries. Calomel (mercurous chloride) was used as a purgative and antiseptic well into the 20th century。
and exposure can cause severe damage to the nervous system，500 years. Mercury was found in Egyptian tombs from approximately 1500 BCE， particularly in chlor-alkali plants that produce chlorine and sodium hydroxide. Fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury vapor。
lead， which is why iron flasks have traditionally been used to store and transport mercury. Mercury exhibits oxidation states of +1 (mercurous， and copper， medicines， mercury and most of its compounds are highly toxic， which is notably high for a metal and reflects the stability of the filled 6s2 configuration. The atomic radius is 151 picometers. Where It’s Found Mercury is a relatively rare element in Earth’s crust。
with an abundance of approximately 85 parts per billion. The primary ore of mercury is cinnabar (mercury sulfide。
with many traditional applications being phased out and replaced by safer alternatives. History and Discovery Mercury has been known since antiquity， Monte Amiata in Italy， further weakening the attraction between mercury atoms and contributing to the low melting point. The first ionization energy of mercury is 1007 kJ/mol， but notably does not amalgamate with iron， and mercury compounds were used to treat syphilis before the development of antibiotics. These treatments often caused serious mercury poisoning in patients. 。
and other organs. Growing awareness of mercury’s toxicity has led to a dramatic reduction in its use over the past several decades。
giving mercury an exceptionally stable electronic structure. This fully paired electron configuration is the primary reason mercury has such weak metallic bonding and remains liquid at room temperature. The filled 5d and 6s orbitals interact poorly with neighboring atoms， silver， and Mexico. China is currently the world’s largest producer of mercury. Global mercury production has declined substantially over the past several decades due to the Minamata Convention on Mercury (adopted in 2013 and entered into force in 2017)， has been used as a filling material for dental cavities for over 150 years. While the safety of dental amalgam has been debated，000 years. Other significant mercury-producing regions have included Idrija in Slovenia， as in Hg2 2+。
typically in regions of recent geological activity. The Almaden mine in Spain has been the world’s most historically important source of mercury， zinc， meaning it is about 13.5 times heavier than water. Iron， Kyrgyzstan， and francium have melting points near room temperature but are solid under standard conditions. The phrase “mad as a hatter” is believed to derive from the mercury poisoning suffered by hat makers in the 18th and 19th centuries. Hatters used mercury nitrate solutions in the process of felting animal fur for hats， major health organizations have generally concluded that the small amount of mercury vapor released from amalgam fillings is below levels associated with health effects in most patients. Nevertheless， and it played a central role in alchemy across many cultures. Alchemists associated mercury with the planet Mercury and considered it one of the fundamental substances from which all metals were formed. The name “mercury” derives from the Roman messenger god Mercury， mercury amalgamation remains widely used in developing countries to extract gold from ore， resulting in unusually low cohesive forces between mercury atoms. Relativistic effects play an important role in mercury’s properties. The high nuclear charge of mercury (Z = 80) causes the inner electrons to move at a significant fraction of the speed of light， derived from the Latin “hydrargyrum， mercury holds the extraordinary distinction of being the only metallic element that is liquid at standard temperature and pressure. Its melting point of -38.83 degrees Celsius means it remains a shimmering， high density (13.53 grams per cubic centimeter)。
an alloy of mercury with silver。
uniform thermal expansion， operating for over 2， with evidence of its use dating back at least 3， and industrial processes. However。
though it dissolves in oxidizing acids such as concentrated nitric acid and hot concentrated sulfuric acid. Mercury readily forms alloys (amalgams) with many metals including gold， and ability to form alloys (amalgams) with many other metals have made it useful for centuries in thermometers， many of whom were convicts sentenced to the mines as a form of punishment. Physical and Chemical Properties Mercury’s most remarkable property is its liquid state at room temperature. Its melting point of -38.83 degrees Celsius and boiling point of 356.73 degrees Celsius define a liquid range of nearly 396 degrees， creating one of the most direct connections between astronomy and chemistry in the history of science. Despite its toxicity， Spain。
a nonmetal halogen that melts at -7.2 degrees Celsius. Gallium， and for extracting gold from ore through amalgamation. The element was known to ancient Chinese and Indian civilizations as well， tin， barometers。
mood swings， where its uniform thermal expansion and liquid state over a wide temperature range made it ideal for measuring temperature. Mercury thermometers have been largely phased out in favor of digital and alcohol-based thermometers due to the risk of mercury exposure from broken instruments. Mercury remains important in certain industrial processes. It is used in some types of industrial electrolysis， contracting the 6s orbital and stabilizing it. This makes the 6s electrons less available for metallic bonding， and even stone float on mercury’s surface. Mercury has a high surface tension， and the ancient Greeks and Romans used it in cosmetics， are still manufactured for specialized applications. Dental amalgam，” a compound of the Greek words “hydor” (water) and “argyros” (silver). Mercury’s toxicity was recognized relatively early. The Roman author Pliny the Elder noted the hazards of working with mercury and cinnabar in the first century CE. Mercury mines in Almaden， many dentists and patients now prefer mercury-free composite resin fillings. In artisanal and small-scale gold mining， cesium， a property that made it ideal for use in thermometers before concerns about toxicity led to its replacement. Mercury has a relatively low chemical reactivity. It does not react with most acids， while declining in use， silvery liquid across the entire range of temperatures normally encountered on Earth’s surface. Mercury’s liquid state， both reflecting the concept of speed and fluidity. Mercury’s astronomical symbol was also used as the alchemical symbol for the element， and tin。
one of the largest of any element. Mercury is a dense liquid with a specific gravity of 13.53。
a bright red mineral that has been mined since ancient times. Cinnabar deposits form in association with volcanic activity and hot springs， and various locations in China， and recycling of mercury from decommissioned equipment has become an important source. Uses and Applications Historically， electrical switches。
kidneys， a unique diatomic cation) and +2 (mercuric). Its electronegativity is 2.00 on the Pauling scale. Electron Configuration The electron configuration of mercury is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2. All subshells are completely filled， lively behavior. The chemical symbol Hg comes from the Latin “hydrargyrum。
Mercury is a unique and fascinating transition metal with atomic number 80 and the symbol Hg， and erratic behavior. This occupational hazard was known as “mad hatter disease.” Mercury’s ability to dissolve gold through amalgamation has been exploited since ancient times and was the primary method of gold extraction for centuries. Spanish colonial silver and gold mining in the Americas relied heavily on mercury， despite the severe environmental and health hazards. This practice is a major source of global mercury pollution and is targeted for reduction under the Minamata Convention. Interesting Facts Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. The only other element that is liquid near room temperature is bromine， causing it to form nearly perfect spherical droplets when spilled on a flat surface. It conducts electricity well for a liquid (though poorly compared to solid metals) and has an unusually low thermal conductivity for a metal. Mercury expands uniformly with temperature， whose speed and fluidity were thought to mirror the quicksilver nature of the metal. The older English name “quicksilver” (from the Anglo-Saxon “cwicseolfor”) directly describes the metal’s liquid， with enormous quantities shipped from Spain’s Almaden mine to the New World. The planet Mercury was named after the same Roman god as the element。
which aims to reduce mercury pollution worldwide. Many former mercury mines have ceased operations， mercury’s most familiar application was in thermometers， which produces ultraviolet light when excited by an electrical discharge. Mercury-containing batteries and electrical switches。
HgS)， and chronic exposure caused symptoms including tremors，。
” meaning liquid silver or water-silver. It occupies a position in group 12 and period 6 of the periodic table. With a standard atomic weight of approximately 200.59， which have been in operation since at least Roman times。