80
Hg
200.592
Mercury
Transition Metal
Group 12
Period 6
Block d
Liquid
Mercury is a chemical element of the periodic table with chemical symbol Hg and atomic number 80 with an atomic weight of 200.592 u and is classed as transition metal and is part of group 12 (zinc group). Mercury is liquid at room temperature.
Mercury in the periodic table
| Symbol | Hg |
| Atomic number | 80 |
| Group | 12 (Zinc group) |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | d |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Appearance | Silvery |
| Color | Silver |
| Number of protons | 80 p+ |
| Number of neutrons | 121 n0 |
| Number of electrons | 80 e- |
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaMercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum (/haɪˈdrɑːrdʒərəm/). 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 bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature.
Physical properties
| Phase at STP | Liquid |
| Density | 13.534 g/cm3 |
| Atomic weight | 200.592 u |
Thermal properties
| Melting point | 234.321 K -38.829 °C -37.8922 °F |
| Boiling point | 629.88 K 356.73 °C 674.114 °F |
| Heat of vaporization | 59.3 kJ/mol |
Atomic properties
| Electronegativity (Pauling Scale) | 2 |
| Electron affinity | -48 kJ/mol |
| Oxidation states | −2 , +1, +2 (a mildly basic oxide) |
| Ionization energies |
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Electron configuration for mercury
Electron configuration Shorthand configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full configuration | 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 4f14 5s2 5p6 5d10 6s2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Electron configuration chart |
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| Electrons per shell | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Outer shell electrons | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valence electrons (incl. d) | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valency electrons | 1,2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bohr model | Figure: Shell diagram of Mercury (Hg) atom. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Orbital Diagram
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The history of Mercury
| Discovery | Egyptians (1500 BC) |
Discovery of mercury Mercury was found in Egyptian tombs that date from 1500 BC. In China and Tibet, mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health, although it is now known that exposure to mercury vapor leads to serious adverse health effects. Alchemists thought of mercury as the First Matter from which all metals were formed. They believed that different metals could be produced by varying the quality and quantity of sulfur contained within the mercury. The purest of these was gold, and mercury was called for in attempts at the transmutation of base (or impure) metals into gold, which was the goal of many alchemists. | |
| Original word | Mercurius |
| Language of origin | Latin |
| Name source | Astronomical body |
| Meaning | “Mercury (planet)” |
| Symbol origin | Symbol Hg is from the Latin hydrargyrum, which is from the Greek words ὕδωρ and ἀργυρός (hydor and argyros), meaning |
Naming The element is named after the Roman messenger god Mercury and the planet of the same name. The symbol Hg comes from the Latinised Greek hydrargyrum, meaning 'water-silver'. | |