(So named (Latin Mercurius, "Mercury") by the alchemists because of its fluidity) A heavy, silver-white metallic chemical element, the only metal liquid at standard temperature and pressure, which sometimes occurs in a free state but usually in combination with sulfur. Mercury is toxic and cumulative in the body, readily absorbed through the respiratory tract, the gastrointestinal tract or through the skin. It is used in thermometers, barometers, and other laboratory instruments; in mercury switches and other electrical apparatus; in mercury-vapor lamps; and in dentistry.
Symbol: Hg (Latin: hydrargyrum)
Atomic number: 80
Atomic weight: 200.59
Density (at room temperature and pressure): 13.546 g/cc
Melting point: -38.87°C
Boiling point: 357°C
Valence: +1, +2
Ground state electron configuration: [Xe]4f145d106s2
Also called:
quicksilver