Thursday 13th October

MercuryVictoria Caton 7E

Mercury

Mercury is the 80th element in the periodic table. Its symbol is Hg.

Its atomic number is 80.

Its atomic mass is 201.

It is made of metal.

HistoryThe particular element Mercury has been around since ancient times, although scientist do not yet know who discovered it. However, scientist do know that Mercury was used by the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Hindus, Greeks and Romans. Archeologists found Mercury in Egyptian tombs dating back to 1500BC, as well as in traditional Chinese medicine.

Mercury's symbol is Hg because the Latin word for liquid silver (Mercury) is Hydragyrum. Alchemists gave the element it’s modern name after the fastest moving planet, Mercury, but they also named it after the fast moving Roman messenger of the gods. In Ancient times, Chinese emperors believed that Mercury would lengthen their lives, although we now know, that it had the opposite effect as Mercury is highly toxic.

In 1759 Adam Braun and Mikhail Lomonosov acquired solid mercury by freezing a mercury thermometer in a mixture of snow and concentrated nitric acid. This experiment proved that Mercury had similar properties to other elements.

USESMercury is used for many things, such as thermometers, Barometers, tooth fillings, fluorescent lighting, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, some electrical switches and other scientific apparatus. However, because of the risks of using Mercury; ethanol is more commonly used in sphygmomanometers.

AppearanceMercury is silver- white in colour. It is very dense and heavy but it is also a metal.

CharacteristicsMercury is highly toxic and when it is compared to other elements, it is not a high conductor of heat, but, it is a high conductor of electricity. It has quite a low melting point for a metal, which is -38.87°C and a boiling point of 365.58°C. Mercury does not react with most acids.

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Water Treatment and Purification - Lenntech. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/hg.htm>.•"Mercury." Personal Web Sites... Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/phys/mercury.htm.•"Effects Of Global Change On The Atmospheric Mercury." Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

<http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/NRES/research_project.aspx?GrantID=543>.•LaRoche, Carolyn. "What Is Mercury (Hg) Used For? | EHow.com." EHow | How to Videos, Articles & More - Discover the Expert in You. | EHow.com.

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Bibliography•"WWW.AIRPURIFIERS.RO / Mercury Control Techniques."

WWW.AIRPURIFIERS.RO - PURIFICATOARELE DE AER NUMARUL 1 IN ROMANIA. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

<http://www.airpurifiers.ro/mercury_en.html>.•Citation added:"Older Dental Fillings Contain Form of Mercury

Unlikely to Be Toxic | E! Science News." E! Science News | Latest Science News Articles. Web. 12 Oct. 2011.

<http://esciencenews.com/articles/2009/12/09/older.dental.fillings.contain.form.mercury.unlikely.be.toxic>.

•"Mercury in Teeth: The Danger Of Silver (Amalgam) Dental Fillings - Dental Health Magazine." Dental Health Magazine: Free Dentistry Information, Oral Care Tips and Dental News for Patients. Web. 12 Oct. 2011. <http://worldental.org/teeth/silver-amalgam-mercury-

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