Chemistry - Mercury

Introduction

• Mercury is a chemical element, which usually known as ‘quicksilver.’

• Formerly, mercury was named as ‘hydrargyrum.’

• The symbol of mercury is ‘Hg’ and atomic number is ‘80.’

• The red pigment vermilion is extracted by grinding either natural cinnabar or synthetic mercuric sulfide.

Salient Features of Mercury

• Mercury is a heavy and silvery-white metal.

• Mercury usually available in liquid state; in normal condition, it is only the few metallic element that remains in liquid state at room temperature.

• Mercury is the poor conductor of heat, but it is a good conductor of the electricity.

• The freezing point of mercury is −38.83⁰C and the boiling point is 356.73⁰C.

• Mercury poisoning caused because of the ingesting any form of mercury. It is also caused by inhalation of mercury vapor.

• Mercury dissolves many metals including gold and silver to form amalgams.

Occurrence of Mercury

• Mercury is one of the rarest element in the earth’s crust.

• The richest mercury ores carry about 2.5 percent mercury (in terms of mass).

• Mercury is found either as a native (natural) element) or in corderoite, cinnabar, livingstonite, etc. minerals.

• Mercury is found the region of young mountain belt; the belt that keep forcing the denser rocks to the crust of the earth. For example, volcanic region or even hot spring regions.

Alloys of Mercury

• Amalgam is the major alloy of mercury.

Compounds of Mercury

• Following are the major compounds of Mercury −

  • Mercury (II) chloride - HgCl₂

  • Mercury (II) oxide - HgO

  • Mercury sulfide - HgS

  • Mercury (I) – chloride - Hg₂Cl₂

  • Dimethylmer - C₂H₆Hg

  • Mercury (II) nitrate - Hg(NO₃)₂

  • Mercury (II) acetate - C₄H₆O₄Hg

  • Mercury (II) sulfate - HgSO₄

  • Mercury (I) iodide - Hg₂I₂

  • Mercury selenide - HgSe

  • Mercury (II) fulminate - Hg(CNO)₂

  • Mercury (II) bromide - HgBr₂

  • Mercury (II) iodide - HgI₂

  • Mercury (I) oxide - Hg₂O

  • Mercury (I) fluoride - Hg₂F₂

  • Mercuric amidochloride - ClH₂HgN

  • Diethylmercury - C₄H₁₀Hg

Uses of Mercury

• Mercury is largely used in chemical industries.

• Mercury is used in electrical and electronic application.

• Mercury is used in the thermometers that we use to measure the temperature.

• Mercury along with its compounds are commonly used in various medicines.