No one really knew who actually discovered the element mercury. It was known to the ancient Chinese, Egyptians, and Hindus in 1500 BC. It was also found in Egyptian tombs. The Chinese thought it was a potion that made them live longer, but it was toxic and killed many Chinese people in 1500 BC. In 1772-1774, two people, scientist Carl W. Scheele and chemist Joseph Priestley heated mercury oxide that made a candle burn five times faster than normal. They had found oxygen. This element is named after the planet Mercury.
Properties
The atom of mercury has eighty protons in the nucleus. It also has 121 neutrons and eighty electrons. The element’s atomic number is eighty, so it is considered a big atom out of 118 elements altogether. The atom has six energy levels where electrons zoom here and there. It is classified as a transition metal and has a silvery white color. It is 200.59 for atomic mass in the state of liquid at room temperature. It is so dense that a steel bolt and a cannonball can float on it! It is melted at -38.83 degrees Celsius, and boiled at 356.73 degrees Celsius. When mercury is boiled, the gas is harmful to people and can go through glass when shaken around because it is very dense.
Uses of Mercury
Mercury is most commonly used for thermometers. The mercury expands when exposed to heat. Barometers have mercury because it expands due to pressure in the atmosphere. Mercury is also used in street lighting and to extract gold, silver, and platinum from their ores. Mercury hardens with steel and makes teeth filling, too!
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