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Mercury: Science Topics

Decent Essays

Mercury
Science Topic 1 assignment
By Shakira Tuffnell
Introduction:
Mercury, (its chemical symbol Hg), comes from the Greek word hydrargyrum, meaning, water silver, although T is commonly named as quick silver. Mercuries atom number is 80 and its mass number is 200.59. It is the only metal that is a liquid at room temperature (around 20-25 degrees Celsius).

Chemical properties and its reactants:
Mercury reacts with many metals to form alloys, such as, gold, silver, aluminium, zinc and cadmium. These alloys then form an amalgam. When Mercury reacts with aluminium it forms an amalgam, which then destroys the oxide layer protecting the aluminium from oxidising. This then causes the aluminium to corrode. Mercury also reacts with tin and silver …show more content…

Its freezing point is -38.83 degrees Celsius and its boiling point is 356.73 degrees Celsius. It has a white/silvery appearance, almost like a mirror. It has a high surface tension but is a bad conductor of heat. Mercury has 34 isotopes and 7 stable isotopes.

Mining and production:
Mercury is found in its ore cinnabar (Mercury sulfite). To extract the Mercury from the ore, the ore is ground up and neatest to around 580 degrees Celsius. The Mercury vapour then escapes from the ores and the Sulfur dioxide is removed. The Mercury is then condensed and washed with nitric acid to purify it.

Atomic structure of Mercury:
Mercury has 121 neutrons and 80 protons in its nucleus. It also has 6 electron shells with 2 electrons in the first shell, 8 electrons in the second shell, 18 electrons in shell 3, 32 electrons in the fourth shell, 18 electrons in the fifth shell and 2 in the sixth …show more content…

For example, Mercury was used in thermometers, barometers and diffusion pumps. It was also used in fluorescent light bulbs and batteries. Mercury is still used for dentistry purposes and also to extract gold. Mercuries amalgam is used to dissolve the gold and then separate them for distillation.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, Mercury is a unique metal as it is the only one existing as a liquid at room temperature. It is highly toxic and also very rare. It reacts/works with many other metals and forms an amalgam with almost any other metal.

Bibliography:
Agata Blaszczak-Boxe (December 18 2014) LiveScience. http://www.livescience.com/39232-facts-about-mercury.html

Anne Marie Helmenstine (2016) AboutEducation. http://chemistry.about.com/od/mercury/a/10-Mercury-Facts.htm

Royal society of chemistry (2016) periodic table http://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/80/mercury

Stephen Mifsud (2000) Marz Kreations. http://www.marz-kreations.com/Chemistry/Cation-ID/Info/168o-HG.html#Info02

Yinon Bentor (2012) Periodic Table of Mercury.

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