
Mercury element (Hg) is in group 12 and period 6 of a periodic table. Mercury is in the d-block and it is classified as a post-transition element on the periodic table.
There is a lot more information related to mercury which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.
So let’s dive right into it!
Table of contents
- Mercury element (Information Table)
- Mercury element in Periodic table
- Facts about Mercury
- Properties of Mercury
- Uses of Mercury
Mercury Element (Information Table)
The important data related to mercury element is given in the table below.
Appearance of mercury | Shiny liquid |
Atomic number of mercury | 80 |
Symbol of mercury | Hg |
Atomic mass of mercury | 200.59 u |
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in mercury | Protons: 80, Neutrons: 121, Electrons: 80 |
State of mercury (at STP) | Liquid |
Group number of mercury in periodic table | 12 |
Period number of mercury in periodic table | 6 |
Block of mercury in periodic table | d-block |
Category of mercury | Post-transition metal |
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in mercury | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 |
Electron configuration of mercury | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s2 |
Orbital diagram of mercury | ![]() |
Electronegativity of mercury (on pauling scale) | 2 |
Atomic radius of mercury (van der Waals radius) | 209 picometers |
Density of mercury | 13.535 g/cm3 |
1st ionization energy of mercury | 10.438 eV |
Main isotope of mercury | 202Hg |
Melting point of mercury | 234.3 K or -38.8 °C or -37.8 °F |
Boiling point of mercury | 629.8 K or 356.7 °C or 674.1 °F |
Crystal structure of mercury | Rhombohedral |
Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).
Mercury element in Periodic table
The Mercury element (Hg) has the atomic number 80 and is located in group 12 and period 6. Mercury is a liquid metal at STP and it is classified as a post-transition element.
H | He | ||||||||||||||||
Li | Be | B | C | N | O | F | Ne | ||||||||||
Na | Mg | Al | Si | P | S | Cl | Ar | ||||||||||
K | Ca | Sc | Ti | V | Cr | Mn | Fe | Co | Ni | Cu | Zn | Ga | Ge | As | Se | Br | Kr |
Rb | Sr | Y | Zr | Nb | Mo | Tc | Ru | Rh | Pd | Ag | Cd | In | Sn | Sb | Te | I | Xe |
Cs | Ba | La* | Hf | Ta | W | Re | Os | Ir | Pt | Au | Hg | Tl | Pb | Bi | Po | At | Rn |
Fr | Ra | Ac** | Rf | Db | Sg | Bh | Hs | Mt | Ds | Rg | Cn | Nh | Fl | Mc | Lv | Ts | Og |
*Ce | Pr | Nd | Pm | Sm | Eu | Gd | Tb | Dy | Ho | Er | Tm | Yb | Lu | ||||
**Th | Pa | U | Np | Pu | Am | Cm | Bk | Cf | Es | Fm | Md | No | Lr |
Facts about mercury
Here are a few interesting facts about the mercury element.
- Mercury is a metal that is in liquid state at room temperature and pressure.
- Mercury is the 67th most common element present in the earth’s crust.
- Earth’s crust contains mercury in the concentration of only 80 parts per billion by weight.
- Mercury is largely produced in Spain and Italy.
- Mercury is toxic metal and it should not be touched with bare hands.
- Mercury is a dense liquid metal and it is 13.5 times heavier than water.
Properties of mercury
Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of mercury.
Physical properties of mercury
- Mercury has a shiny metallic appearance and it is in liquid state at room temperature and pressure.
- Mercury forms small hemispherical droplets when it is spilled on the surface.
- Mercury has a rhombohedral crystal structure.
- The melting point and boiling point of mercury is 234.3 K and 629.8 K respectively.
- Mercury has many isotopes, and out of those isotopes the most abundant isotope is 202Hg.
Chemical properties of mercury
- Mercury is a toxic metal and it can damage our kidneys, levers, nerves, etc.
- Mercury can form amalgams with silver, tin and gold.
- If mercury is kept open in the moist air, then it will form an oxide layer on it.
- Mercury easily reacts with aluminum metal and it forms an oxide layer on aluminum. So mercury is not allowed in airplanes.
- Mercury does not show chemical reactions with iron, so it is generally stored in iron containers.
Uses of mercury
Here are some uses of the mercury element.
- Mercury is generally used in temperature measuring apparatus like thermometers.
- Mercury is also used in devices like barometers, manometers, etc which measures pressure.
- Mercury is also used to extract silver and gold from their ores. Because mercury can easily amalgamate (form alloy) with these metals.
Article by;