What is Mercury: Definition and 255 Discussions

Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum ( hy-DRAR-jər-əm). A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is the halogen bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature.
Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world mostly as cinnabar (mercuric sulfide). The red pigment vermilion is obtained by grinding natural cinnabar or synthetic mercuric sulfide.
Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, mercury relays, fluorescent lamps and other devices, though concerns about the element's toxicity have led to mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being largely phased out in clinical environments in favor of alternatives such as alcohol- or galinstan-filled glass thermometers and thermistor- or infrared-based electronic instruments. Likewise, mechanical pressure gauges and electronic strain gauge sensors have replaced mercury sphygmomanometers.
Mercury remains in use in scientific research applications and in amalgam for dental restoration in some locales. It is also used in fluorescent lighting. Electricity passed through mercury vapor in a fluorescent lamp produces short-wave ultraviolet light, which then causes the phosphor in the tube to fluoresce, making visible light.
Mercury poisoning can result from exposure to water-soluble forms of mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury), by inhalation of mercury vapor, or by ingesting any form of mercury.

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  1. T

    Calculate The Surface Temperature of Mercury

    Homework Statement Estimate the surface temperature of Mercury (the planet). Mercury is distant 0.38 ORE from the Sun, where the Earth-Sun distance, ORE is 1.49.108m. The radii of the Sun, Earth and Mercury are 696.103, 6.38.103 and 2.42.103 km respectively. Homework Equations Heat...
  2. G

    Medical What are the health hazards of mercury on our bodies?

    How does the element Mercury actually effect your body for it to be a health hazard?
  3. N

    Explaining Mercury's Precession: Layman Terms

    Could someone explain in layman terms the current thinking on why the orbit of Mercury precesses? Presumably, it is not precessing in a gyroscope sense but the perihelion of the orbit just advances in the same plane.
  4. R

    Eccentricity & GR precession; Mercury vs. GPB

    Eccentricity & GR precession; Mercury vs. GP-B How big a factor is the Eccentricity of Mercury orbit in contributing to its precession? GR precession has been confirmed in the Gravity Probe B orbit even though it has an eccentricity of zero. The GP-B used a gyroscope to take the place of a...
  5. D

    Inelastic collision of an electron and a mercury atom

    An electron with a kinetic energy of 4.9eV collides inelastically with a stationary mercury atom. Why can you assume almost 100% of the electron's energy can go into raising the mercury atom to its first excited state? I know that with an inelastic collision both energy and momentum are...
  6. L

    New Images from Mercury Fly-by

    Messenger has sent back new pictures of Mercury. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/multimedia/index.html The first 4 pictures in the table were relayed back yesterday.
  7. B

    Why is the density of Mercury 40% larger than the density of Mars?

    Why is the density of Mercury 40% larger than the density of Mars?
  8. K

    Manometer water and mercury problem

    Homework Statement Water is spilled into a mercury manometer that was being attached to a pipe carrying argon. The water has a height of 20 cm in the manometer and the pressure drop across the manometer is 101.3 kPa (mercury on left lower than on the right) What is the difference in height...
  9. A

    Column of Mercury at Sea Level

    Homework Statement At sea level, the pressure of the standard terrestrial atmosphere will support a column of mercury of density 1.359 x 10^4 kg/m^3 and of height 0.7600m at a place where the acceleration due to gravity is 9.80665 m/s^2. Show that 1 atmosphere = 760 mm Hg = 1013hPa. I...
  10. G

    How Do Water and Mercury Pressures Compare in Different Height Containers?

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  11. F

    Precession angle per orbit of perhelion precession mercury

    Many derivations of mercury precession angle per orbit \Delta\Phi, equate this to extra angle per orbit \delta in excess of 2\pi that is \delta = \Delta\Phi But I am getting this relation \sqrt{4\pi\delta}= \Delta\Phi from arc length of helix and circular orbit. What am I doing...
  12. J

    Why is mercury a liquid even though its atoms are closely packed

    the density of ice(solid) is less than that of water(liquid) and density of mercury(liquid) is more than that of many solids. thinking about it, it seemed natural to me that the more closely are the atoms or molecules packed the greater will be their density. but on packing them closely, isn't...
  13. T

    AAS of mercury in prescence of cobalt

    Just wondering how to analyse mercury in the presence of cobalt by atomic absorption analysis given that both elements emit and absorb radiation at 235.65nm. I know that mercury isj examined using cold vapour atomic absorbtion analysis... but knowing this still doesn't help? Any hints would...
  14. K

    What Alternatives Exist to Mercury Seals for High RPM Generators?

    Hi, While designing a high RPM generator i need some information on mercury seal. Actually i want to establish contact between rotor(25k to 30k RPM) and stator. Anybody can suggest me any other alternatives.
  15. Janus

    First pictures From Mercury in 30 yrs.

    NASA's Messenger probe sent back it's first pictures: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080116-messenger-mercury-images.html
  16. H

    Mercury Tilt Switch: Availability & Alternatives

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  17. J

    Spin-orbit coupling in a mercury atom

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  18. L

    Equilibrium Levels of Mercury and Water

    Homework Statement You have a "U-shaped" container with a valve at the bottom of a negligible volume tube. The left side is filled with water and the right side is filled with mercury. The valve is opened and since the two are immiscible there is a fluid level differentiation. Determine the...
  19. J

    Mercury: Why Doesn't it Vaporize Away?

    Still being so close to the sun, what prevents the planet Mercury from vaporizing away?
  20. H

    Medical What Causes Lead & Mercury Poisoning in Humans?

    Hey everyone, I have a question about lead and mercury poisoning in the human body. What actually happens in the human body that causes lead and mercury to be poisonous? Thanks!
  21. A

    How Does Gravity Affect Centrifuge Operations on Mercury?

    Homework Statement A laboratory centrifuge on Earth makes n rpm (rev/min) and produces an acceleration of 5.90 g at its outer end. a. What is the acceleration (in g's) at a point halfway out to the end b. The centrifuge is now used in a space capsule on the planet mercury, where gmercury...
  22. G

    Mercury Sable RC steering help

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  23. F

    Mercury in glass-laboratory thermometer doesn't stick to glass?

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  24. Averagesupernova

    Mercury Vapor Lights: Safe Indoor Mounting

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  25. T

    Mercury U Tube Problem: Solving for Height with Fluid Physics

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  26. P

    Why mercury is liquid at room temperture?

    Mecury has a boiling point of -39 centigrade but is relatively dense with 80 protons. It has 2 valence electrons like all the other transition metals but why does it have the strange property of being a liquid at room temperture?
  27. A

    Determining Height of Mercury in U-tube: Air Flow Rate of 1200 cm^3/s

    Ok, Air flows through this tube at a rate of 1200 cm^3/s. Assume that air is an ideal fluid. What is the height h of mercury in the right side of the U-tube? Here's a picture: http://session.masteringphysics.com/problemAsset/1001181/6/knight_Figure_15_64.jpg First, I found the velocity of...
  28. J

    Boiling points of alcohol and mercury?

    Boiling points of alcohol and mercury?? who can tell me the boiling point of alcohol and mercury??
  29. robphy

    Transit of Mercury 2006: Tips for Capturing Photos | Physics Forums Blog

    https://www.physicsforums.com/blog/2006/11/06/transit-of-mercury-2006/ Anyone planning to take pictures?
  30. L

    Solving a Venturi Device for Height of Mercury Rise

    A Venturi device has a diameter of 4mm at one end and a diameter of 2cm at the other. Air enters at 1200cm^3/m. Mercury is in the botom of the device. Assuming mercury's density to be 13700kg/m^3, and air's density to be 1.2kg/m^3, find how high the mercury rises. Assume air to be an ideal...
  31. J

    Fluid Mechanics - U-tube and mercury

    A U-shaped tube, open to the air on both ends, contains mercury. Water is poured into the left arm until the water column is 20.0 cm deep. How far upward from its initial position does the mercury in the right arm rise? So far, this is my work: Using pressure = density(water) x g x...
  32. T

    Pressure of column of mercury

    What is the pressure of a 10 cm high column of mercury (ρ = 13,6 g/cm^3) in hPa? i know that the formula is Pressure=pgh so i subs in 13.6g/cm^3 (9.81m/s^2) (10cm). may i know what is the g in 13.6g/cm^3 belongs to?? is it equals to 9.81m/s^2?? and also what is hPa??i know Pa is pascal...
  33. S

    Exploring Electron Energy Levels in a Mercury Atom

    The diagram shows some of the energy levels of an electron in a mercury atom. Level Q represents the lowest possible energy level. (a)Explain why a line spectrum results from an atom with such energy levels. (b) Calculate the energy change in joules when the electron moves from level...
  34. Amith2006

    Solving the Temperature of a Mercury Vapour Lamp

    Sir, The question is as follows: If excitation energy is provided by inelastic collisions between molecules, what is the temperature at which mercury vapour lamp will emit Ultra violet light of wavelength 2586 Angstrom? I tried applying Wein's displacement law(lamda * T =...
  35. Math Is Hard

    Mercury Battery Reaction: Determining the Oxidation Half Reaction

    Howdy. I'm looking at a mercury battery reaction which goes like so: HgO(l) + Zn(s) --> ZnO(s) + Hg(l) I need to figure out the oxidation half reaction. What I can tell so far is that Zn is oxidized, since on the reactant side it has a charge of zero, and on the product side, Zn has an...
  36. S

    Use mercury barometer to fing height of building

    A mercury barometer reads 700.0 mm on the roof of a building and 715 mm on the ground. Assuming a constant value of 1.29 kg/m3 for the density of air, determine the height of the building. . My setup was finding the difference in the pressures for mercury and get 15 mm Hg Then use Hg density...
  37. T

    Mercury Barometer: Does Temperature Affect Height?

    Does the temperature of the mercury affects the height of the mercury column in a barometer?
  38. Pengwuino

    How does atmospheric pressure affect the readings in a mercury tube manometer?

    Ok I got this problem here... http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/Veto1024/mercury.jpg How is this possible?! If its pushing the mercury down the tube and back up into the atmosphere, the pressure has to be greater then 1atm yet the answer ends up being less then 1 atm inside the...
  39. A

    Need help with mercury vs. water problem

    I need help with a problem I have struggled with for several days. Here is the problem: The specific heat of mercury is .03 cal/g degrees C, and it's boiling point is 357 degrees C. The specific heat of water is 1 cal/g degrees C. It takes 65 calories of energy to vaporize one gram of...
  40. C

    BCC - balancing chemical equations, stoichiometry

    Hi, I'm trying to write an equation to show what happens when mercury liquid (Hg) is placed on a block of aluminium (Al). But I'm having some problems. Here's my current line of thinking (I haven't yet worked out any subscripts so I will just use the atomic symbols): Al has an aluminium...
  41. W

    What is the linear thermal coefficient of expansion for the container?

    I have tried this question 6 times (getting the same answer more than once) and am still not getting the correct answer. I think I need some help understanding where I'm going wrong. The question: A container is filled to the brim with 1.35 L of mercury at 20°C. When the temperature of...
  42. C

    Mercury Hg2+2 Ion: Why Does It Form?

    Mercury can form Hg2+2 and Hg+2 ions. Why does mercury form Hg2+2? Are there any other "diatomic ions" like this? I assume this has to do with atomic size, but why don't zinc and cadmium behave like this? They only form Zn+2 and Cd+2.
  43. S

    Gauge pressure and mercury question

    Gauge pressure question - please help I came across this multiple choice question while revising for my exams but I can't get any of the chioces. I've spent over an hour on this but can't figure out. Can someone please help me because it's starting to annoy me. What is the gauge pressure at...
  44. wasteofo2

    What Makes Mercury So Harmful to the Body?

    Today in Chemistry my teacher was talking about Mercury, and said that it was bad because your thoughts and nerve-impulses are electrical, and that if you have a lot of spare metal floating around your body the signals get all messed up. I asked "What about Iron, that's a critical component of...
  45. chem_tr

    How to Treat Spilled Mercury: Advice & Tips

    Hello, I need advice about how to treat spilled mercury. A friend of mine is going to do an experiment about barometers, and she needs some mercury. I am worried about any accident. As you know, mercury vapors are very toxic for nervous system. Any advice is welcomed. I will immediately do a...
  46. H

    The Spin of Mercury: 3/2 or 1/2?

    Can anybody tell me what is the spin of Mercury, is it 3/2 or 1/2, and why? - 3/2 = sidereal orbit period (87.969 days) / sidereal rotation period (1407.6 hrs) - 1/2 = tropical orbit period (87.968 days) / length of day (4222.6 hrs) Data are from NASA, planetary fact sheets.
  47. hitssquad

    Shadow Ops: Red Mercury - world's first 64-bit game

    “AMD Athlon 64 technology is revolutionizing game design and, given the tremendous power and freedom AMD64 offers to our game designers, we are able to create scenes, physics, artificial intelligence, map sizes and graphics detail that we only dreamed of on 32-bit platforms,“ said Wim Stocks...
  48. K

    Why do Mercury and our Moon not spin?

    Does anyone know why Mercury and our Moon do not spin?
  49. Orion1

    Exploring Mercury: A 6.5-Year Journey Through the Inner Solar System

    The journey will take 6 1/2 years, covering nearly 5 billion miles on a roundabout ramble through the inner solar system. The probe should reach Mercury by March 2011, then spend a year gathering data. Scientists have been yearning to study Mercury up close ever since Mariner 10 zoomed by...
  50. B

    Cut a ball of mercury with a knife it forms into other balls

    If I cut a ball of mercury with a knife it forms into other balls why is this
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