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Thermometer
in your mouth? Don't let it break... or you'll start to ache
and you'll never wake!
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Introduction
- Mercury is the 80th
element
on the periodic
table and the
heaviest known elmental liquid. It is a transitional
metal... the only metal to be in a liquid state at room
temperature. It is a shiny, silver metal also known as
quicksilver as it is shown in mercury's name in other
languages. In some foreign languages such as mercury changes
to words from kwik, quecksilber, and Kvicksilver to mercure
and mercurio! Ever have a fever, and your mother inserts a
cold glass thermometer into your mouth? The silvery liquid
inside is mostly mercury. Just make sure you don't bite too
hard... if mercury enters your body it will end your
life.
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Properties
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Name
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Mercury
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Symbol
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Hg
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Atomic
Number
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80
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Atomic
Mass
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200.59
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CAS Registry
ID
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7439-97-6
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Protons
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80
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Electrons
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80
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Neutrons
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121
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Type of
Element
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Transitional
Level
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State at
room
temperature
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Liquid
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Freezing
Point
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-38.82 °
C
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Boiling
Point
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356.73 °C
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Density
@ 19.85 °C
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13.546
g/cc
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Oxidation
Number
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2
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Electrons in first
energy level
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2
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Electrons in second
energy level
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8
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Electrons in third
energy level
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18
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Electrons in fourth
energy level
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32
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Electrons in fifth
energy level
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18
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Electrons in sixth
energy level
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2
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This shows the electron
distribution in the atom of the most commpon isotope of
mercury with 80 electron distributed as documented in the
table at left.
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Introduction
Properties
Uses
History
Glossary
Bibliography
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Uses -
Mercury, unfortunately, gives
off toxic vapors when exposed to air, which limits its
applications. It is however, used in some everyday things,
like thermometers and streetlights.Vaporized mercury is used
in some modern "blue" streetlights. Mercury is also used in
barometers, which determine atmospheric pressure.
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History
- Though it is rare,
mercury was one of the first metals ever found.
Mercury's ore, bright red cinnabar, was used by the
Chinese for three thousand years as a color for
paint. Cinnabar was found in Egyptian tombs 4000
years old. Ancient Greeks used mercury in medicine,
but we know today that mercury is very toxic and
poisinous. When it enters the human body it "shuts
off" enzymes in your body. The name mercury comes
from the planet mercury. Why is mercury's periodic
symbol "Hg?" The symbol "Hg" comes from the latin
word "hydrargyrum," which means "liquid
silver."
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Glossary
-
- element:
An element is a pure substance which cannot be broken
down into a simpler substance.
- periodic
table: The periodic table is a table in which the
elements have been organized by atomic
number.
- atomic
number: The atomic number of an element is the number
of protons in the nuclues in any atom of that element.
Each element has a unique atomic number. For example,
mercury's atomic number is 80.
- atomic
mass: The atomic mass of an element is the weight in
the nuclues in the average atom of that element. One
proton weighs one AMU or one atomic mass
unit.
- protons:
A proton is a positively charged sub-atomic particle
in the nuclues of an atom with a weight of one
AMU.
- electrons:
An electron is a negativelt charged sub-atomic
particle that cirles the nucleus of the atom.
- neutrons:
A neutron is an uncharged sub-atomic particle in the
nucleus of an atom with a weight of one AMU.
- room
temperature: Room temperature, as refered to when
stating the physical state of an element at "room
temperature," is approximately 22š C.
- density:
Density is the amount of matter in a given space.
Measured in mass per unit volume. Often measured in g/cc
or grams per cubic centimeter.
- oxidation
number: The oxidation number of an element is the
positive or negative charge of the ion of an atom of that
element when in bonds with other elements.
-------YourDictionary.com
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Bibiography
-
Chemicool
Periodic Table of the Elements: Mercury
Web
Elements Periodic Table of the Elements
Knapps, Brian.
Cadmium, Zinc, and Mercury. Europe: Atlantic Europe
Publishing Company Limited.© 1996
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