Mercury Facts
Chemical Symbol Hg
Atomic number 80
Atomic weight 200.59
Silvery shiny liquid metal
Mercury is classified as a transition metal.
It is commonly known as quicksilver
Mercury is named after the planet, Mercury.
The chemical symbol for mercury is Hg, which derived from the Greek word "hydragyros" 'water' and 'silver'.
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure
It is a rare metal.
It is very dense metal, 13.6 times as dense as water.
Its main ore is mercury sulfide(HgS), called cinnabar.
It is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.
Mercury readily forms alloys with other metals, such as gold, silver, zinc and cadmium. These alloys are called amalgams.
Mercury is mainly used in thermometers, barometers, vapor lamps, batteries, mirrors and in the preparation of chemical pesticides.
Mercury is used to make mirrors becauuse of its strong reflective powers.
Mercury and most of its compounds are extremely toxic and must be handled with care. Mercury can cause both chronic and acute poisoning.