Mercury (Element) - Properties Of Mercury, Toxicity
silver ore name gold
Mercury is a metallic chemical element identified by the symbol Hg on the periodic table. It is silver in color and, unlike other metals, is liquid at room temperature. The ancient name for mercury was quicksilver, meaning "living" silver. This name reflected mercury's lustrous silver color and its unusually lively behavior: when it is poured onto a smooth surface, it forms beads that roll rapidly around. The element's modern name comes from Mercury (or Mercurius), the fleet-footed messenger of the gods in Roman mythology.
No one knows exactly when mercury was discovered, but many ancient civilizations were familiar with this element. As long ago as Roman times, people had learned to extract mercury from ore and used it to purify gold and silver. Ore containing gold or silver would be crushed and treated with mercury, which rejects impurities, to form a mercury alloy, called an amalgam. When the amalgam is heated, the mercury vaporizes, leaving pure gold or silver.
Mercury's presence in the Earth's crust is relatively low compared to other elements. However, mercury is not considered rare because it is found in large, highly concentrated deposits. Nearly all mercury exists in the form of a red ore called cinnabar, which is composed of mercury and sulfur. Sometimes shiny globules of mercury appear among outcrops of cinnabar, which is probably why mercury was discovered so long ago. The metal is relatively easy to extract from the ore by applying heat and a filtration process. First the ore is heated in an oxygen furnace. The mercury is released as fumes and those fumes condense into soot on a water-cooled metal condenser. The mercury is then removed from the soot by a filter system and purified in a vacuum. Much of the world's mercury has traditionally been mined in Spain and Italy, though several other countries also produce commercial quantities.
User Comments
about 1 year ago
Amy
this website was rubbish. please include the strength, flexability and durabilityof mercury. rubbish website. a real let down. :(
9 months ago
you should get more trustworthy and correct information...i failed my science project because of this junk
about 1 year ago
basjdbhajkdh
This is crap
over 2 years ago
hey, it would be helpful if u added the forms of mercury that exist. such as mercury sulfide etc
cheers,
john
about 1 year ago
IceBlueEyez
Wow people read the stuff like there's physical properties right in the print! Honestly open your eyes!!
over 1 year ago
wgere to get mercury
over 1 year ago
When was mercury discovered?
over 1 year ago
What are physical properties of mercury?
almost 2 years ago
What is the freezing point of mercury?
over 2 years ago
Robert
This is a great website lots of good info but i have one correction the ancient name for mercury was hydrargyrum.
over 3 years ago
This article was very useful and it helped a lot since it had the main things(the things I needed) highlighted, this made me finish my work faster. It also has a bibliography under the text this also helped me do my work
over 3 years ago
wow this is a good website i wish i would have looked here before i looked at all the other websites...none of them were this good!!!
over 3 years ago
Thank you very much!, it helped me with my science project!!!!
2 months ago
Benji.
uhhm, needs to be easier to find the proterties of mercury. like, seriously!?
2 months ago
smd
you suck i am dumb
10 months ago
kcufhohohohohohohoh
this is seriously crap and rubbish together.
12 months ago
i need an explanation for the reason the symbol is Hg.
over 1 year ago
callvin
what are some of the properties of mercury the element?
11 months ago
happyface
this is rubbish
over 3 years ago
It helped me alott in scince thanks alott.
not another site had the info you guys did!!!!
7 months ago
diamond of mercury E mark
about 1 year ago
ibrahim
i like this site
over 3 years ago
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over 3 years ago
thank you. i hope i pass my paper.
almost 4 years ago
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about 1 year ago
josephine
why is mercury more warm than water in normal room temperature?
2 months ago
Miss. Tuffsy
do so belibve that this wbsite os nnto inddeed rubbinsh but it is a jolly good site, my mum toldme to use this websote do my my arithmatic homework. cheereo have a nice nday
2 months ago
Samuel Zwakala
This has ability to promote environmentally sound management plans in respective countries
2 months ago
Samuel Zwakala
This has ability to promote environmentally sound management plans in respective countries
3 months ago
This is total bull!
8 months ago
can hg exist as solid at room temp?
i can do. reply, thanks
over 1 year ago
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over 1 year ago
John
Love it<3
about 2 years ago
Hey, robert, hydragyrum is the greek word for liquid silver. it is ALSO called quicksilver.
over 3 years ago
This helped me do a science project THanks alot!!
over 3 years ago
This site helped me get the stuff i needed for my science project. Thanks a bundle.
over 3 years ago
I'm not much into learning, but my teacher gave me an element project, and she gave me Mercury, so, heck, i guess you help! so.... THANX
over 3 years ago
Thank you so much, this is a great website and you can easily pull facts out of it. I am writing a report on Mercury and this is the bestest website so far. I will be sure to tell everybody at school!!
over 3 years ago
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over 3 years ago
Your website is such a great idea. It seriously helps out...big time!
~Thank~
over 3 years ago
this helped me.
over 3 years ago
Hi
Great page helped me.
over 3 years ago
Great paper now it helped me pass my paper on the element of mercury