Mercury (Hg)
The only metal that is liquid at room temperature.
Mercury facts
- Symbol
- Hg
- Atomic number
- 80
- Atomic mass
- 200.59
- Family
- Transition metals
- Period
- 6
- Group
- 12
Famous reactions with mercury
- Hairy metal! Aluminium meets MercuryAluminium amalgam (growing white "fur") · At room temperature · Try it
- Trapped! Mercury meets SulfurMercury sulfide (cinnabar) Hg + S → HgS · When ground together · Try it
- Iron says no! Iron meets MercuryNothing: iron and mercury do not mix · Nothing happens, even when heated · Try it
- Gold disappears! Gold meets MercuryGold amalgam · At room temperature · Try it
What does mercury react with?
Mercury makes a new substance with 8 other elements and chemicals in our lab:
- Mercury + OxygenMercury(II) oxide 2Hg + O₂ → 2HgO · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + FluorineMercury(II) fluoride Hg + F₂ → HgF₂ · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + ChlorineMercury(II) chloride Hg + Cl₂ → HgCl₂ · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + SeleniumMercury(II) selenide Hg + Se → HgSe · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + BromineMercury(II) bromide Hg + Br₂ → HgBr₂ · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + TelluriumMercury(II) telluride Hg + Te → HgTe · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + IodineMercury(II) iodide Hg + I₂ → HgI₂ · When heated · Try it
- Mercury + PoloniumMercury(II) polonide Hg + Po → HgPo · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
It also blends into a mixture, like an alloy, with 20 other metals when melted together.
Nothing happens when it's simply mixed with 66 of the others. 21 pairings have never been tried, because not enough atoms have ever existed.