Mercury | Chemistry

Park View Education Centre, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada

Mercury, 80, Park View Education Centre, Bridgewater NS

Mercury: Known as quick silver or hydragyrum (liquid silver), my periodic table tile is a superman Mercurius. He is shaped like a lighting bolt flying by the planet Mercury on a starry night with the atomic number dripping from his hand. This was chosen because the element was named after the Roman god, Mercurius, the fleet footed messenger, known for speed and moblity. It is also associated with the planet Mercury. The astrological symbol for the planet is also one of the alchemical symbols for the metal. Mercury is the only metal for which the alchemical planetary name became the common name.

Mallory Taylor, Park View Education Centre, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, Canada

Atomic properties*

Name:

Mercury

Symbol:

Hg

Atomic number:

80

Atomic mass:

200.59 amu

Melting point:

-38.8°C

Boiling point:

356.62°C

Density:

13.546 g/cm³

Electronegativity:

1.9

# of Isotopes:

9

State:

Liquid

Colour:

Silvery-white**

Classification:

Metallic**

* Haynes, W. M. (2011). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 91st edition: http://www.hbcponline.com/ Retrieved April 7, 2011

** Winter, M. (2010). Home of the Periodic Table. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from Web Elements: http://www.webelements.com/