Why is Mercury called the planet of extremes?
This is because Mercury has no atmosphere to regulate temperature and results in the most extreme temperature change of all the planets – ranging from -170°C (-280°F) during the night to 430°C (800°F) during the day.
Why was Mercury called the moon of the Sun?
Mercury
- Namesake. Mercury is appropriately named for the swiftest of the ancient Roman gods.
- Potential for Life. Mercury's environment is not conducive to life as we know it. ...
- Size and Distance. ...
- Orbit and Rotation. ...
- Moons. ...
- Rings. ...
- Formation. ...
- Structure. ...
- Surface. ...
- Atmosphere. ...
Why is mercury so hard to study?
Mercury is closest to the Sun. It is one of the inferior planets, that is, its orbit (around the Sun) is smaller than Earth's orbit and hence takes much less time to go around the Sun. Mercury takes 88 days to go around the Sun, as compared to the 365 days the Earth takes. Because of these reasons, Mercury is difficult to see.
Why is mercury used to measure pressure?
What are the pressure measuring devices?
- The Barometer: The barometer is a device meant for measuring the local atmospheric pressure. …
- Piezometer or Pressure Tube: …
- Manometers: …
- The Bourdon Gauge: …
- The Diaphragm Pressure Gauge: …
- Micro Manometer (U-Tube with Enlarged Ends):
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When was mercury called quicksilver?
4th century BCEMercury was initially known Hydrargyros (in the times of Aristotle) and later known in its liquid state as Argenturn Vivurn translated “alive silver” or in English as “quicksilver" in the 4th century BCE.
Is quicksilver a nickname for mercury?
It's not just a character from the X-Men movies: Quicksilver is the alternative name for the metal Mercury. Mercury, atomic number 80 on the periodic table, is a heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. (It stays in liquid form even at room temperature!)
Who called quicksilver?
element MercuryThe element Mercury is also known as quicksilver for its mobility. The boiling point of mercury is 356.7 °C. The symbol for mercury is Hg.
What was mercury originally called?
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum (/haɪˈdrɑːrdʒərəm/ hy-DRAR-jər-əm) from the Greek words, hydor (water) and argyros (silver).
Is mercury and quicksilver the same?
Quicksilver is the premier supplier of Mercury Marine Original Equipment replacement parts and accessories. The two brands share the same DNA and same brand promise. The main differences between the two brands is where they are sold and the larger breadth of products available under the Quicksilver brand.
What happens if mercury touches gold?
Freddie Mercury may have had the golden voice, but real mercury, that endlessly entertaining and dangerous liquid metal, has the golden touch. That is, if it touches gold it will immediately break the lattice bonds of the precious metal and form an alloy in a process known as amalgamation.
What does quicksilver mean?
quicksilvernoun. The metal mercury. Etymology: From quyksilver, from cwicseolfor. Literally "living silver" from its ability to move. See quick in the sense of living.
Who's faster quicksilver or flash?
Amazingly, The Flash is way faster than anything Quicksilver has ever displayed in the comics thus far. Flash has moved so fast before that he can phase through solid objects, and can also create enough friction and momentum where he's able to throw lightning bolts at his foes.
Who came first flash or quicksilver?
As mentioned before, Barry Allen was inspired by the original Flash to become a superhero. while Quicksilver may be a Marvel character, National Comics had a hero named Quicksilver long before Pietro or even Barry were on the scene. He was an extremely minor character who was just known as Max.
What happens if mercury touches you?
If you touch it, a small amount may pass through your skin, but not usually enough to harm you. Mercury is most harmful when you breathe in the vapors that are released when a container is open or a spill occurs. Pregnant women, infants and young children are particularly sensitive to the harmful effects of mercury.
What happens if you boil mercury?
When heated to near its boiling point (346.72 deg C/675 deg F), mercury oxidizes in air, and mercuric oxide is formed. At 500 deg C, mercuric oxide decomposes into mercury and oxygen, a phenomenon that led to the discovery of oxygen by Joseph Priestley and Karl Scheele.
Is quicksilver poisonous?
It also is used in folk medicine and in some religious practices. It vaporizes quickly when heated and is toxic only in its vaporized form.
Why is Quick Silver called Quick Silver?
Its called quick for its mobility and silver for its shiny surface. Combination of both its called quick silver.
What is the old name for mercury?
Quicksilver: is the old name for mercury. Quick is the old word for life, and silver is the metal silver. Mercury or quicksilver is liquid at room temperature and flows readily as if it were alive.
Why is Mercury so dense?
Another consequence of this, is that the Van der Walls radius, which is a effectively the size of the atom, is low, compared with the other atoms around it in the periodic table. This is why it is so dense - more dense than one would expect. On top of this, Mercury has the highest ionisation energy of any other metallic atom. These are both consequences of its 2 6s electrons having a much lower energy than the patterns predict, and that they are therefore closer in to the nucleus than they ought to be.
What is the configuration of a mercury atom?
It's configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2. You can see that all of the orbitals are filled, which tends to make it very stable. But, its behaviour is particularly due to its outermost 6s electrons. These are the electrons which would usually be shared between atoms, and lead to the metallic bonding of a solid. They are also the electrons which would be lost or shared, when making chemical bonds. Mercury atoms are extremely reluctant to do either, and this is because they are particularly tightly bound to the Mercury nucleus. The 6s electrons have a strong probability of having very high velocities, close to the speed of light, and this effectively gives them more mass, so that they tend to spend more time close to the nucleus, than one would expect. This is known as ‘relativistic contraction’. The 4f orbitals also provide very poor screening, just adding to the low, and therefore, more stable energies of the 6s electrons.
Why are electrons considered liquids?
Its all due to its structure and electronic configuration. At the atomic level, yes, electrons do explain why a substance is a liquid as well as its metallic properties. But at the macro level, we cannot simply clump together all metals as being hard rigid solids. 24k Gold is like soft dough, Sodium metal can be cut with a knife.
What does Hg mean in the Greek word for mercury?
The symbol Hg that mercury is known by comes from its Greek name, hydrargyrum, which means "liquid silver" — to reflect its shiny surface. The element is also known as quicksilver for its mobility. Named after the fastest-moving planet in the solar system, mercury has been known to humanity for ages. In fact, evidence of its use has been found in China, India and Egypt, and traces of mercury were found in 3,500-year-old Egyptian tombs.
Why does mercury have a low melting point?
The reason mercury has such a low melting and boiling point is because the structure of it’s valence electron shell doesn’t easily form crystal structures.
When was mercury first used in mining?
Beginning in 1558, with the invention of the patio process to extract silver from ore using mercury, mercury became an essential resource in the economy of Spain and its American colonies. Mercury was used to extract silver from the lucrative mines in New Spain and Peru.
What metals dissolve in mercury?
Mercury dissolves many metals such as gold and silver to form amalgams. Iron is an exception, and iron flasks have traditionally been used to trade mercury. Several other first row transition metals with the exception of manganese, copper and zinc are also resistant in forming amalgams. Other elements that do not readily form amalgams with mercury include platinum. Sodium amalgam is a common reducing agent in organic synthesis, and is also used in high-pressure sodium lamps.
Why is mercury not allowed on airplanes?
For this reason, mercury is not allowed aboard an aircraft under most circumstances because of the risk of it forming an amalgam with exposed aluminium parts in the aircraft. Mercury embrittlement is the most common type of liquid metal embrittlement.
What is the electron configuration of mercury?
A complete explanation of mercury's extreme volatility delves deep into the realm of quantum physics, but it can be summarized as follows: mercury has a unique electron configuration where electrons fill up all the available 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, 4p, 4d, 4f, 5s, 5p, 5d, and 6s subshells.
Why does a pound of mercury float?
A pound coin (density ~7.6 g/cm 3) floats in mercury due to the combination of the buoyant force and surface tension. Mercury is a heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. Compared to other metals, it is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.
Which states have banned mercury?
In 2003, Washington and Maine became the first states to ban mercury blood pressure devices. Mercury compounds are found in some over-the-counter drugs, including topical antiseptics, stimulant laxatives, diaper-rash ointment, eye drops, and nasal sprays.
Which element is liquid at room temperature?
A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is the halogen bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature .
What is mercury used for?
As a practical matter, mercury does some very useful things. It dissolves other metals in it to make instant alloys or amalgams. A gold or silver amalgam made with mercury is an excellent material for filling tooth cavities, hardening rapidly and wearing well.
Which geyser is the largest producer of mercury?
It was once thought that the Yellowstone geysers were possibly the largest producers of mercury emissions on the planet. Detailed research, however, found that nearby wildfires were emitting far larger amounts of mercury into the atmosphere.
What is the biggest source of mercury pollution?
Of course, humans are consuming large amounts of organic sediments in the form of coal. Mercury levels in coal are not high, but we burn so much that energy production is by far the biggest source of mercury pollution. More mercury comes from burning petroleum and natural gas.
Why is mercury considered a substance?
The Latin name "hydrargyrum," from which its chemical symbol Hg comes, means water-silver. English speakers used to call it quicksilver, or living silver. The medieval alchemists felt that mercury must have a mighty mojo, some excess of spirit that could be tamed for their great work of turning base metal into gold .
Where is mercury found?
Deposits of mercury, whether in cinnabar or at hot springs , are usually small and rare. The delicate element doesn't last long in any one place; for the most part, it vaporizes into the air and enters the biosphere. Only a portion of environmental mercury becomes biologically active; the rest just sits there or becomes bound to mineral particles.
Is mercury a volatile element?
Mercury is classified as a volatile element, one that lives mostly in the Earth's crust. Its geochemical cycle starts with volcanic activity as magma invades sedimentary rocks. Mercury vapors and compounds rise toward the surface, condensing in porous rocks mostly as the sulfide HgS, known as cinnabar.
Is mercury a biologically active substance?
Only a portion of environmental mercury becomes biologically active; the rest just sits there or becomes bound to mineral particles. Various microorganisms deal with mercuric ions by adding or removing methyl ions for their own reasons. (The methylated mercury is highly poisonous.) The net result is that mercury tends to end up slightly enriched in ...
What is the name of the metal that looks like silver?
The metal mercury; - so called from its resemblance to liquid silver.
What is a Mercurialis annua?
A plant (Mercurialis annua), of the Spurge family, the leaves of which are sometimes used for spinach, in Europe.
Why is mercury called Quicksilver?
Mercury is an inherently interesting element. In the past, it was called quicksilver for two reasons. It looked like silver but was liquid at room temperature, and its English name derives from the name of the god Mercury who was renowned for his quickness. Although people have been aware of mercury since antiquity, ...
Who was the scientist who accidentally spilled dimethylmercury?
Professor Karen Wetterhahn was performing an experiment with dimethylmercury when she accidentally spilled one or two drops of the chemical on her gloved hand. Since she was using all the advised safety precautions, she was not overly concerned.
Why is mercury bad for you after drinking?
Hardly any mercury remains in the body after drinking it because the metal has what is called low bioavailability—no way to enter the metabolism. The danger comes from inhaling mercury vapor as you drink your quicksilver because the vapor can be taken up by the body.
How long did it take for mercury to pass out of a child?
After seven days , however, all the mercury had passed out of the child. Blood tests showed a raised mercury level. But with treatment, this returned to normal and no ill effects were experienced. However, the parents may have added a lock to their cupboard doors.
How much mercury did a 3-year-old drink?
In one case, a three-year-old child drank 750 grams of mercury after finding a bottle of it in his house. Despite having his stomach pumped, some mercury had already passed into his digestive tract. X-rays showed clumps of mercury throughout his intestines, and drops of mercury were found in the child’s diaper.
What is the primary source of mercury?
Photo credit: metmuseum.org. One of the primary sources of mercury metal is the mineral cinnabar. Simply heating the mineral in air will produce mercury vapor which can then be collected and condensed into the metal.
Did Lewis and Clark use mercury pills?
Although the members of the expedition may or may not have been helped by their mercury pills, historians have certainly been aided by them. One of the methods of tracing the route of the Lewis and Clark team has been to check possible campsites for raised levels of mercury left behind when the thunderbolts did their work.
Overview
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 the Greek words, hydor (water) and argyros (silver). A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is known to be liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid u…
Properties
Mercury is a heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. Compared to other metals, it is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.
It has a freezing point of −38.83 °C and a boiling point of 356.73 °C, both the lowest of any stable metal, although preliminary experiments on copernicium and flerovium have indicated that they have even lower boiling points. This effe…
Etymology
"Hg" is the modern chemical symbol for mercury. It is an abbreviation of hydrargyrum, a romanized form of the ancient Greek word ὑδράργυρος (hydrargyros), which is a compound meaning "water-silver" (from ὑδρ- (hydr-), the root of ὕδωρ 'water', and ἄργυρος (argyros) 'silver'). Like English quicksilver ("live-silver"), it was named this because it was both liquid and shiny. The chemical name comes from the planet Mercury. In alchemy, the seven metals known before the 16th cent…
History
Mercury was found in Egyptian tombs that date from 1500 BC.
In China and Tibet, mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health, although it is now known that exposure to mercury vapor leads to serious adverse health effects. The first emperor of a unified China, Qín Shǐ Huáng Dì—allegedly buried in a tomb that contained rivers of flowing mercury on a model of the land he ruled, representative of the riv…
Occurrence
Mercury is an extremely rare element in Earth's crust, having an average crustal abundance by mass of only 0.08 parts per million (ppm). Because it does not blend geochemically with those elements that constitute the majority of the crustal mass, mercury ores can be extraordinarily concentrated considering the element's abundance in ordinary rock. The richest mercury ores contain up to …
Chemistry
Mercury exists in two positive oxidation states, I and II. Despite claims otherwise, Hg(III) and Hg(IV) compounds remain unknown, though short-lived Hg(III) has been achieved through electrochemical oxidation.
Unlike its lighter neighbors, cadmium and zinc, mercury usually forms simple stable compounds with metal-metal bonds. Most mercury(I) compounds are diamagnetic and feature the dimeric ca…
Applications
Mercury is used primarily for the manufacture of industrial chemicals or for electrical and electronic applications. It is used in some liquid-in-glass thermometers, especially those used to measure high temperatures. A still increasing amount is used as gaseous mercury in fluorescent lamps, while most of the other applications are slowly being phased out due to health and safety …
Toxicity and safety
Mercury and most of its compounds are extremely toxic and must be handled with care; in cases of spills involving mercury (such as from certain thermometers or fluorescent light bulbs), specific cleaning procedures are used to avoid exposure and contain the spill. Protocols call for physically merging smaller droplets on hard surfaces, combining them into a single larger pool fo…