Mercury Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Mercury 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.
It belongs to group 12 of the periodic table having trivial name volatile metals. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Mercury in a PDF format.
Mercury Facts
Read key information and facts about element Mercury
| Name | Mercury |
| Atomic Number | 80 |
| Atomic Symbol | Hg |
| Atomic Weight | 200.59 |
| Phase | Liquid |
| Color | Silver |
| Appearance | silvery |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 12 |
| Group Name | zinc family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 6 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 |
| Melting Point | 234.32 K |
| Boiling Point | 629.88 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7439-97-6 |
How to Locate Mercury on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 80 to find Mercury on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Mercury on periodic table look for cross section of group 12 and period 6 in the modern periodic table.
Mercury History
The element Mercury was discovered by Indians/Chinese in year Before 2000 BCE . Mercury was first isolated by Egypt in 1500 BCE. Mercury derived its name from the New Latin name mercurius, named after the Roman god (Hg from former name hydrargyrum, from Greek hydr-, 'water', and argyros, 'silver').
| Discovered By | Indians/Chinese |
| Discovery Date | Before 2000 BCE |
| First Isolation | |
| Isolated by |
Known to ancient Chinese and Indians before 2000 BCE, and found in Egyptian tombs dating from 1500 BCE.
Mercury Uses
Mercury is used to making thermometers, barometers, electrical switches, and other instruments. It is often used in streetlights and fluorescent lamps and in the chemical industry as a catalyst.
Mercury Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Mercury in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 1 | 0.006 |
| Abundance in Sun | 20 | 0.12 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 250 | 20 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 67 | 7 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.05 | 0.0015 |
| Abundance in Humans | - | - |
Crystal Structure of Mercury
The solid state structure of Mercury is Simple Trigonal.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 300.5 pm | 300.5 pm | 300.5 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| 1.23081 | 1.23081 | 1.23081 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | R_ 3m |
| Space Group Number | 166 |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Trigonal |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Mercury Atomic and Orbital Properties
Mercury atoms have 80 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 1S0.
| Atomic Number | 80 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 80 |
| Number of Protons | 80 |
| Mass Number | 201 |
| Number of Neutrons | 121 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 5d10 6s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 2 |
| Main Oxidation States | 1, 2 |
| Oxidation States | -2, 1, 2 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 1S0 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Mercury - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Mercury - neutral Mercury atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Mercury
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Mercury atom is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2. The portion of Mercury configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Xe]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 5d10 6s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Mercury
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Mercury atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 4f14 5d10 6s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Mercury
Mercury atomic radius is 171 pm, while it's covalent radius is 149 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 171 pm(1.71 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 150 pm (1.5 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 14.09 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 149 pm (1.49 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | 155 pm |
| Neutron Cross Section | 374 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.063 |
Spectral Lines of Mercury - Atomic Spectrum of Mercury
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Mercury
Absorption spectrum of Mercury
Mercury Chemical Properties: Mercury Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Mercury is 0 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 2 |
| Electronegativity | 2 |
| ElectronAffinity | 0 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Mercury
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Mercury
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 1007.1 |
| 2nd | 1810 |
| 3rd | 3300 |
Mercury Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Mercury Physical Properties
| Density | 13.534 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $13.534 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 14.09 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | - |
| Shear Modulus | - |
| Bulk Modulus | 25 GPa |
| Poisson Ratio | - |
Hardness of Mercury - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | - |
| Vickers Hardness | - |
| Brinell Hardness | - |
Mercury Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Mercury is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Mercury
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 1000000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 9.6e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 4.154 |
Mercury Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 8.3 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | - |
Mercury Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Diamagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | -2.1e-9 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | -4.21e-10 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | -0.0000284 |
Optical Properties of Mercury
| Refractive Index | 1.000933 |
Acoustic Properties of Mercury
| Speed of Sound | 1407 m/s |
Mercury Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Mercury
| Melting Point | 234.32 K(-38.83 °C, -37.894 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 629.88 K(356.73 °C, 674.114 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | 1750 K |
| Superconducting Point | 4.154 |
Enthalpies of Mercury
| Heat of Fusion | 2.29 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 59.2 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Mercury Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Mercury
Mercury has 40 isotopes, with between 171 and 210 nucleons. Mercury has 7 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Mercury - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 196Hg, 198Hg, 199Hg, 200Hg, 201Hg, 202Hg, 204Hg.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 171Hg | 80 | 91 | 171 | Synthetic | ||
| 172Hg | 80 | 92 | 172 | Synthetic | ||
| 173Hg | 80 | 93 | 173 | Synthetic | ||
| 174Hg | 80 | 94 | 174 | Synthetic | ||
| 175Hg | 80 | 95 | 175 | Synthetic | ||
| 176Hg | 80 | 96 | 176 | Synthetic | ||
| 177Hg | 80 | 97 | 177 | Synthetic | ||
| 178Hg | 80 | 98 | 178 | Synthetic | ||
| 179Hg | 80 | 99 | 179 | Synthetic | ||
| 180Hg | 80 | 100 | 180 | Synthetic | ||
| 181Hg | 80 | 101 | 181 | Synthetic | ||
| 182Hg | 80 | 102 | 182 | Synthetic | ||
| 183Hg | 80 | 103 | 183 | Synthetic | ||
| 184Hg | 80 | 104 | 184 | Synthetic | ||
| 185Hg | 80 | 105 | 185 | Synthetic | ||
| 186Hg | 80 | 106 | 186 | Synthetic | ||
| 187Hg | 80 | 107 | 187 | Synthetic | ||
| 188Hg | 80 | 108 | 188 | Synthetic | ||
| 189Hg | 80 | 109 | 189 | Synthetic | ||
| 190Hg | 80 | 110 | 190 | Synthetic | ||
| 191Hg | 80 | 111 | 191 | Synthetic | ||
| 192Hg | 80 | 112 | 192 | Synthetic | ||
| 193Hg | 80 | 113 | 193 | Synthetic | ||
| 194Hg | 80 | 114 | 194 | Synthetic | ||
| 195Hg | 80 | 115 | 195 | Synthetic | ||
| 196Hg | 80 | 116 | 196 | 0.15% | Stable | N/A |
| 197Hg | 80 | 117 | 197 | Synthetic | ||
| 198Hg | 80 | 118 | 198 | 9.97% | Stable | N/A |
| 199Hg | 80 | 119 | 199 | 16.87% | Stable | N/A |
| 200Hg | 80 | 120 | 200 | 23.1% | Stable | N/A |
| 201Hg | 80 | 121 | 201 | 13.18% | Stable | |
| 202Hg | 80 | 122 | 202 | 29.86% | Stable | N/A |
| 203Hg | 80 | 123 | 203 | Synthetic | ||
| 204Hg | 80 | 124 | 204 | 6.87% | Stable | N/A |
| 205Hg | 80 | 125 | 205 | Synthetic | ||
| 206Hg | 80 | 126 | 206 | Synthetic | ||
| 207Hg | 80 | 127 | 207 | Synthetic | ||
| 208Hg | 80 | 128 | 208 | Synthetic | ||
| 209Hg | 80 | 129 | 209 | Synthetic | ||
| 210Hg | 80 | 130 | 210 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | 0 | Will not burn |
| NFPA Health Rating | 3 | Flash Points below 37.8°C (100°F) |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 0 | Will not burn |
| NFPA Hazards |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7439-97-6 |
| RTECS Number | RTECSOV4550000 |
| CID Number | CID23931 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Mercury with other elements
Compare Mercury with Group 12, Period 6 and Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.
Compare Mercury with all Group 12 elements
Compare Mercury with all Period 6 elements
Compare Mercury with all Transition Metal elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Mercury