Naming and History
Mercury is named after the planet Mercury but its scientific name “Hydrargyrum” comes from the Greek word which means “liquid silver”.
Mercury has been known to humans since ancient times. In France and Spain, around 30,000 years ago, Cinnabar which is mercury sulfide and also known as vermilion is a bright red pigment that was used by Paleolithic painters to paint caves.
- Aristotle
It was also known to ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hindus. Its use by ancient Egyptians dated 1500 B.C years ago. Aristotle wrote in his writings about mercury the “hydro-Argyros” which means water silver. Romans modified the Greek name to Hydrargyrum.
- Adam Braun and Mikhail Lomonosov
In 1759, Adam Braun and Mikhail Lomonosov in Russia obtained mercury. They freeze the mercury thermometer in a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and snow. As a result, they obtained solid mercury.
Occurrence of Mercury
Mercury can occur in its free state but it is mostly present in ores and minerals. It is a rare element on Earth. the mercury-containing ores and minerals are cinnabar, corderoite, and livingstonite.
Most of the mercury was obtained from Almaden Deposits in Spain. It was also obtained from Italy and the Americas. Today the major suppliers of mercury are Kyrgyzstan and China.
Properties of Mercury
Mercury is a dense, heavy, silvery-white, poisonous liquid transition metal that has a mirror-like appearance. It is only liquid material at room temperature and can even evaporate. It is stable in dry air. In moist air, it tarnishes and forms an oxide coating, grey in color.
Mercury has high surface tension and when spilled it forms round tiny beads. In contact with other metals, it dissolves them and from amalgams except for iron. That is the reason iron is used to store mercury.
It is a poor conductor of heat and a mild conductor of electricity. It does not react with acids. The melting point of mercury is -38.83°C whereas its boiling point is 356.73°C. It has a density of 13.5336 grams per cubic centimeter.
Mercury in Biological Systems
Mercury is a highly toxic element and has no known significant role in living things although all living animals contain trace amounts of mercury. This amount is very small the body can cope with it.
However, if ingested in high doses it is lethal. It can easily be absorbed by the living body through inhalation, ingestion of food, or even through the skin.
It is considered highly toxic but throughout history, it was regarded as therapeutic. Some Chinese medicines still use it.
Uses of Mercury
- Mercury is alloyed with other metals such as gold, silver, zinc, etc. to form amalgams. These amalgams are used to extract ores.
- Zinc amalgams are used in dry batteries.
- Some mercury amalgams are used in making dental fillings.
- Mercury vapors are widely used in fluorescent lamps, streetlights, and advertising signs, etc.
- It is used as a catalyst in some industries.
- Some industries use mercury as a rectifier.
- Mercury is commonly used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, and felt production.
- Mercurous chloride also called calomel is an antiseptic used to kill bacteria.
- Mercurous oxide is used to make mercury batteries.
Isotopes of Mercury
There are 34 known isotopes of mercury ranging from mass number 175 to 208. Hg- 202 is the most abundant naturally occurring stable isotope whose abundance is 29.9%.
MCQs on Mercury Element
- What is the atomic number of mercury?
- A) 79
- B) 80
- C) 81
- D) 82
- Answer: B) 80
- What is the scientific name of mercury?
- A) Silverium
- B) Argentum
- C) Hydrargyrum
- D) Mercurium
- Answer: C) Hydrargyrum
- How is mercury represented in the periodic table?
- A) Me
- B) Hg
- C) Mc
- D) He
- Answer: B) Hg
- Who obtained mercury for the first time in 1759 by freezing it?
- A) Aristotle
- B) Adam Braun and Mikhail Lomonosov
- C) Romans
- D) Chinese
- Answer: B) Adam Braun and Mikhail Lomonosov
- In which country were the Almaden Deposits, a major source of mercury, located?
- A) China
- B) Kyrgyzstan
- C) Spain
- D) Italy
- Answer: C) Spain
- What is the state of mercury at room temperature?
- A) Solid
- B) Gas
- C) Liquid
- D) Plasma
- Answer: C) Liquid
- Which metal is used to store mercury due to its non-reactivity with it?
- A) Gold
- B) Iron
- C) Silver
- D) Zinc
- Answer: B) Iron
- What is the melting point of mercury?
- A) -38.83°C
- B) 0°C
- C) 100°C
- D) 356.73°C
- Answer: A) -38.83°C
- How does mercury behave in moist air?
- A) Evaporates
- B) Tarnishes and forms an oxide coating
- C) Turns solid
- D) Changes color to red
- Answer: B) Tarnishes and forms an oxide coating
- What is the primary use of mercury in making dental fillings?
- A) Antibiotic
- B) Antiseptic
- C) Amalgam
- D) Catalyst
- Answer: C) Amalgam
- Which mercury isotope is the most abundant naturally occurring stable isotope?
- A) Hg-200
- B) Hg-202
- C) Hg-205
- D) Hg-208
- Answer: B) Hg-202
- In what form is mercurous chloride, also known as calomel, commonly used?
- A) Thermometer
- B) Battery
- C) Antiseptic
- D) Catalyst
- Answer: C) Antiseptic
- What is the primary use of mercury vapors in lamps and signs?
- A) Cooking
- B) Cleaning
- C) Lighting
- D) Cooling
- Answer: C) Lighting
- Which country is one of the major suppliers of mercury today?
- A) Russia
- B) China
- C) Italy
- D) Spain
- Answer: B) China
- How does mercury primarily enter the living body?
- A) Through ingestion of food
- B) Through inhalation
- C) Through skin contact
- D) All of the above
- Answer: D) All of the above
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Mercury
- Q: What is the atomic number of mercury, and where is it located in the periodic table?
- A: The atomic number of mercury is 80, and it is located in group number 12 of the periodic table.
- Q: What is the scientific name of mercury, and what does it symbolize?
- A: The scientific name of mercury is “Hydrargyrum,” symbolized by “Hg.” It comes from the Greek word meaning “liquid silver.”
- Q: How did ancient civilizations like the Egyptians and Chinese use mercury?
- A: Ancient civilizations used mercury for various purposes, such as in pigments like cinnabar for cave paintings, and it was even mentioned by Aristotle in his writings.
- Q: When and how was mercury obtained by Adam Braun and Mikhail Lomonosov in Russia?
- A: In 1759, they obtained mercury by freezing a mercury thermometer in a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and snow, resulting in solid mercury.
- Q: Where is mercury found naturally, and what are its major suppliers today?
- A: Mercury can occur in its free state but is mostly found in ores like cinnabar. Major suppliers today are Kyrgyzstan and China.
- Q: What are the key properties of mercury at room temperature?
- A: Mercury is a dense, silvery-white, poisonous liquid transition metal. It has high surface tension, forms tiny beads when spilled, and dissolves metals except for iron.
- Q: Is mercury toxic, and how can it enter the human body?
- A: Yes, mercury is highly toxic. It can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion of food, or skin contact. In high doses, it can be lethal.
- Q: What are the common uses of mercury in various industries?
- A: Mercury is used to form amalgams for extracting ores, in dental fillings, fluorescent lamps, streetlights, catalysts, rectifiers, thermometers, barometers, manometers, and antiseptics.
- Q: Why is iron used to store mercury?
- A: Iron is used because mercury dissolves other metals and forms amalgams, except for iron.
- Q: How many known isotopes does mercury have, and which one is the most abundant stable isotope?
- A: There are 34 known isotopes of mercury. The most abundant stable isotope is Hg-202, with an abundance of 29.9%.
- Q: Is mercury still used in some Chinese medicines despite its toxicity?
- A: Yes, historically, mercury has been regarded as therapeutic, and some Chinese medicines still use it, although it is considered highly toxic.
- Q: What is the density of mercury?
- A: The density of mercury is 13.5336 grams per cubic centimeter.