mercury
chemical element
- Also called:
- quicksilver
- Key People:
- Georg Brandt
- Related Topics:
- mercury processing
- endocrine disruptor
- neurotoxin
- mercury poisoning
- Minamata disease
- On the Web:
- Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety - Mercury (Jan. 14, 2025)
mercury (Hg), chemical element, liquid metal of Group 12 (IIb, or zinc group) of the periodic table. atomic number80 atomic weight200.592 melting point−38.83 °C (−37.89 °F) boiling point356.62 °C (673.91 °F) specific gravity13.5 at 20 °C (68 °F) valence1, 2 electron configuration2-8-18-32-18-2 or (Xe)4f 145d106s2 Mercury was known in Egypt and also probably in the East as early as 1500 bce. The name mercury originated in 6th-century alchemy, in which the symbol of the planet was used to represent the metal; the chemical symbol Hg derives from the Latin hydrargyrum, “liquid silver.” Although its toxicity was recognized at an early ...(100 of 978 words)