Julie Kalmar
Chemistry 1010
Mercury is one of the most fascinating elements I’ve ever seen. It is the only one of the
metals that is actually liquid at normal sea level room temperature. The only other element
that is liquid under those same conditions is Bromine. This means that we know mercury almost
exclusively as a bright silvery-white liquid. Some have even experienced the thrill of playing
with it, and watching the sparkling little balls of it roll around.
Nobody knows for certain just who it was that first discovered this element. Mercury
was known to the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, Hindus, and even the Mayans. We know this from
the discoveries inside the tombs of these civilizations. Some of these tombs date back as much
as 1500bc. It was likely known even earlier, but we haven’t made those discoveries as of yet.
Mercury has been known by several names, all referring to its appearance as a silverywhite liquid. In the fourth century B.C. there is found such a description by Aristotle, who noted
the element in his writing. He called it hydro-argyros, which translates as liquid silver or water
silver. The Romans modified the Greek name slightly, referring to mercury as Hydragyrum. This
is the basis from which it derived the chemical symbol that we know today. Hg.
The modern name that we commonly know it as was provided by ancient alchemists.
These ancient chemical workers observed the element as a rapidly flowing liquid from which
they believed most of the other metals were derived, and likened it to the fastest moving
planet that they knew. The planet had been named after the Roman messenger of the gods, the
fast moving Mercury.
These alchemists broadened our understanding of a great many elements by their
studious observations. For all of their advanced studies, they were still mired in the ancient
beliefs of the societies from whence they came. Alchemists believed mercury to be the most
important of all the elements they had discovered because it encompassed both solidity and
liquid. Earth was the solid form and Heaven was the liquid form. This equated to life and death.
Because of this nature, they believed it also offered the path by which other base metals could
become gold. This was the source of the philosopher’s stone, and many of the legends of
alchemic abilities.
Also, because of its properties that so closely associated with life and death, it was
thought to hold tremendous medicinal value. Although every ancient civilization has its own
legends concerning this wondrous element, China has always been a firm believer and
investigator of folklore remedies. In the second century the study of mercury in China centered
around searching for the elusive elixir of life. The emperors who controlled much of the studies
and research were anxious to find methods to achieve longevity and immortality. Such studies
pervaded the research for many centuries, though the progress was slow.
The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang Di, was said to have been buried in a tomb
that contained a model of the great land that he had ruled in life. This model was said to have
rivers of mercury, representative of the rivers of China, flowing on it. He was killed by drinking
an elixir crafted by Qin alchemists from mercury and powdered jade; both of which were
intended to prolong life and health. Instead of the intended eternal life, he suffered liver
failure, mercury poisoning, and brain death.
The prominent Chinese alchemist Ko Hung, who lived in the 4th century, believed that
man is what he eats, and so by eating gold he could attain perfection. He also reasoned that the
true believers in such philosophy were likely to be poor, and so he reasoned that it was
necessary to obtain a substitute for this most precious of metals. Although the Emperors held
vast reserves of gold, none of them wished to diminish their power in exchange for longevity.
Ko Hung believed the substitute could be found by making the gold from cinnabar; cinnabar
(HgS) being the ore from which mercury is extracted.
Ko Hung's other uses for cinnabar included smearing it on the feet to enable a person to
walk on water, placing it over a doorway to ward off thieves, and combining it with raspberry
juice to enable elderly men to beget children.
It isn’t as though the ancient civilizations were ignorant of the toxicity of mercury either.
Despite its widespread use in medicines and cosmetics, the toxic effects were well
documented. It was in the mining of cinnabar that the symptoms were first recognized. The
illness would start as mild tremors, and progress to extreme mood changes, and on to severe
mental derangement.
The reddish cinnabar is the only known ore to contain mercury, and the richest deposits
are in the region of Spain and Italy. It has been mined in this region dating back before recorded
history. Prehistoric skulls painted with cinnabar have been found in regions of Italy. The
cinnabar mines were used during the Roman era as penal institutes for criminals and slaves.
These wardens were the first ones to record the toxic effects of mercury, and recognized that
there was a high likelihood that prisoners would become poisoned by the mining process. The
lifespan of these workers was brief, sparing the need for formal executions in many cases.
Mercury easily forms alloys with other metals, such as gold, silver, zinc, and cadmium.
These amalgams have proven useful in many ways. This allows for the extraction of gold from
its ore. Combined with silver, it has been used for dental fillings, and combined with cadmium
for the use in batteries to extend their life. Mercury also forms useful compounds with other
elements. Mercury forms useful compounds with other elements. Mercuric chloride (HgCl 2) is a
very poisonous salt and was once used to disinfect wounds. Mercurous chloride (Hg2Cl2), also
called calomel, is an antiseptic used to kill bacteria. Mercuric sulfide (HgS) is used to make a red
paint pigment called vermilion. Mercuric oxide (HgO) is used to make mercury batteries.
Mercury has also found use in thermometers, barometers, and other scientific
instruments. Its fluidity has allowed it to be used as a perfectly flat mirror. In ancient times
these mirrors were often used in divination due to mercury’s association with the aspects of life
and death.
Mercury vapor is still widely used in streetlights, and fluorescent lamps, as well as
advertising signs. Fluid mercury found applications in electronics for silent tilt and position
switches
Atomic Number: 80
Atomic Weight: 200.59
Element Class: Transition Metal
Melting Point: -38.83 C
Boiling Point: 356.73 C
Density: 13.5336 g/cc
Mercury is a heavy silvery-white metal, that when compared to other metals, is a poor
conductor of heat, and a fair conductor of electricity. Mercury’s unique electron configuration
has them filling up all the available 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 3d, 4s, 4p, 4d, 4f, 5s, 5p, 5d, and 6s
subshells. This configuration strongly resists any removal of electrons from the valence shell,
resulting in a behavior that closely resembles the noble gasses, which form weak bonds and
become solids which melt at relatively low temperatures.
A filled 4f shell is what gives the 6s shell such great stability. Although cadmium and zinc
still melt easily, and have low boiling points, the absence of a filled inner f shell is the reason
those two elements have a much higher melting point.
Gold is only one space to the left of mercury on the periodic table, but having one less
6s electron, means that the electrons are more easily removed and shared between the gold
atoms. This allows them to form relatively strong metallic bonds.
Mercury has 34 isotopes with mass numbers of 175 to 208, seven of which are stable
The remaining 27 isotopes have half-lives that are well known. Naturally occurring mercury is a
mixture of seven isotopes and they are found in the percentages shown: 196Hg (0.2%), 198Hg
(10.0%), 199Hg (16.9%), 200Hg (23.1%), 201Hg (13.2%), 202Hg (29.9%) and 204Hg (6.9%).
I like mercury because it’s shiny, and I like shiny things.