Mercury


 * [[image:http://www.webelements.com/_media/icons/symbols/Hg.jpg width="105" height="70"]]-Mercury **

By: Jack Phillips and Liz Hong

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=Introduction= Mercury is a beautiful element that is unique in many ways, it is the only pure metal that is liquid at room temperature, and has fascinated civilizations for millennia. (Mercury) More information of this type, and anything that is not found in the paragraphs below can probably be found in this powerpoint that can be downloaded and view as a Microsoft Powerpoint Program. In the powerpoint, you will find more information on Economy, Health effects, and a general introduction of element 80: Mercury.



=Uses and Discovery= Mercury is an ancient element whose discovery is unknown. Mercury has been found in tombs of the Ancient Egyptians and scrolls from 2 thousand years ago in Greece. Mercury has always fascinated people, and it was only until the latter half of the 20th Century that it fell from common use. However, Mercury and humanity have been together for wtice that length. THere are scrolls from up to 2000 B.C. from ancient China describing how to release mercury from its ore, and also how to make pigment out of the ore, very like this modern vermilion paint, made in a very similar process. Mercury was used for a long time in alchemy as one of the most important ingredients in the alchemist's brews. Mercury was also used by hat makers to separate the fur from the pelts. Mercury poisoning, and its mental effects are the reason for the expression a "mad hatter". Mercury was historically mined in Spain, but the United States is now the top producer of Mercury, with Spain as the second. This is not because the United States has many Mercury mines, but it is created as a by-product of gold mining. It was in gold and silver mining that Mercury was often used up until the present. Mercury is used to form an amalgam with gold, and then when it is separated, the gold is left nearly completely pure. (Kean) However, this is not the most important use of mercury today. Mercury is mainly used to produce chlorine, because chlorine gas is created by breaking apart NaCl, or salt, and when that happens, if nothing is done about the Sodium, and there is any moisture present, then it blows up, messing up the experiment. Mercury is used, like with gold, to form an amalgam with the Sodium so that no reaction takes place, and Chlorine can be produced more easily. Mercury is also used in electrical switches and although common thermometers no longer use the metal, many extremely accurate scientific thermometers still use it. (Gray)

=Nature= Mercury is very rarely found in its pure form in nature, but instead is usually in compounds, most commonly in something called Cinnabar, a red ore that is, like Mercury, very toxic. Cinnabar has been used in dyes for thousands of years. It is a compound of Sulfur and Mercury: MgS. It is also found in living creatures in organic compounds such as Methyl-Mercury. (Winter) These compounds are particularly toxic to humans. Methyl-Mercury is found in all fish, but in far greater amounts in larger fattier fish such as tuna and dolphins. Mercury is not known to have any positive effects on any organism, but does not affect many organisms, but is extremely toxic to others such as humans. Mercury does not play a significant role in the ecosystems of the world, but it is present.

=Chemical and Physical Properties= Mercury is element number 80, and a transitional metal. Mercury's atomic mass is 200.59. Mercury has 80 protons, and 80 electrons in its neutral form. There are several isotopes of Mercury as well, as listed below. (Winter) Mercury is a relatively rare element, with .5 parts per million in the earth's crust making it one of the 20 least common elements. The Mercury acts like a noble gas of metals, because it has a complete d block, so does not react easily with other elements at an atomic level. Its abbreviated electron structure is as follows: [Xe]6s1,4f14,5d10. Mercury acts like a noble gas because all of its orbitals are filled with two electrons, making it unavailable for a stable valence bond.
 * Isotope || Natural Abundance (%) ||
 * 196Hg || .15 ||
 * 198Hg || 9.97 ||
 * 199Hg || 16.87 ||
 * 200Hg || 23.10 ||
 * 201Hg || 13.18 ||
 * 202Hg || 29.56 ||
 * 204Hg || 6.87 ||

= Works Cited = "Mercury, Chemical Element - Overview, Discovery and Naming, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Occurrence in Nature, Isotopes." //Chemistry: Foundations and Applications//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. . Campbell, Fred. "Chemistry World - Interactive Periodic Table." //Royal Society of Chemistry, the Largest Organisation in Europe for Advancing the Chemical Sciences//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. . Environ Health Perspect. 2005 May;  113(5)   : 590–596. Published online 2005 February 28. doi: 10.1289/ehp.7743. Gray, Theodore. "Facts, Pictures, Stories about the Element Mercury in the Periodic Table." //Theodore Gray//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. . "Health Effects | Mercury | US EPA." //US Environmental Protection Agency//. 1 Oct. 2010. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. . Kean, Sam. //The Disappearing Spoon: and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements//. New York: Little, Brown and, 2010. Print. Winter, Mark. "Mercury | Essential Information." //WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements//. Web. 07 Jan. 2011. .