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Compare Mercury vs Platinum

Comparing Mercury (Hg) and Platinum (Pt). Atomic numbers 80 and 78 with atomic masses 200.592 u and 195.085 u, classified as transition metal and transition metal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
Hg
Mercury
#80
Pt
Platinum
#78

Periodic properties of the elements

MercuryPlatinum
SymbolHgPt
Atomic number8078
Group1210
Period66
Blockdd
Element categoryTransition MetalTransition Metal

Physical properties

MercuryPlatinum
Phase at STPLiquidSolid
Density13.534 g/cm321.45 g/cm3
Atomic weight200.592 u195.085 u
Melting point234.321 K
-38.829 °C
-37.8922 °F		2041.4 K
1768.25 °C
3214.85 °F
Boiling point629.88 K
356.73 °C
674.114 °F		4098 K
3824.85 °C
6916.73 °F

Atomic properties

MercuryPlatinum
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)22.28
Electron affinity-48 kJ/mol205.041 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−2 , +1, +2
(a mildly basic oxide)		−3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6
(a mildly basic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 1007.1 kJ/mol
  2. 1810 kJ/mol
  3. 3300 kJ/mol
  1. 870 kJ/mol
  2. 1791 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

MercuryPlatinum
Shorthand configuration[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 [Xe] 4f14 5d9 6s1
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d9 6s1
Electrons per shell2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 22, 8, 18, 32, 17, 1

History

MercuryPlatinum
DiscoveryEgyptians (1500 BC)Antonio de Ulloa (1735)
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