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jobyts
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Still being so close to the sun, what prevents the planet Mercury from vaporizing away?
Because it is made of rock and iron, mainly iron, and though close it is still not hot enough to melt, let alone vapourise.jobyts said:Still being so close to the sun, what prevents the planet Mercury from vaporizing away?
The melting point of Mercury is -38.83°C (-37.89°F or 234.32 K).
Mercury has a boiling point of 356.7°C (674.1°F or 629.8 K), which is much higher than room temperature. This means that it requires a lot of energy for Mercury to reach its boiling point and turn into a vapor. At room temperature, Mercury does not have enough energy to overcome its intermolecular forces and escape into the air as a gas.
Mercury is a metal and therefore has metallic bonds, which are strong forces that hold the atoms together in a solid state. These forces are much stronger than the weaker intermolecular forces that exist between molecules in non-metallic substances. This is why Mercury has a relatively high melting and boiling point compared to other non-metallic substances.
In theory, yes, Mercury can vaporize at room temperature. However, it would require an extremely low pressure environment or a significant increase in temperature to provide enough energy for the Mercury atoms to break free from their metallic bonds and turn into a vapor. Therefore, in normal conditions, Mercury will not vaporize at room temperature.
The atmosphere plays a crucial role in the vaporization of Mercury. The pressure and temperature of the atmosphere determine the conditions under which Mercury can vaporize. In a high pressure environment, it would require a higher temperature for Mercury to vaporize, while in a low pressure environment, the boiling point of Mercury would decrease, making it easier for it to turn into a vapor. Additionally, the presence of other gases in the atmosphere can also affect the vaporization of Mercury.