Mercury
Mercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum (/haɪˈdrɑːrdʒərəm/). A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature.
A stylized shell model. Electrons are quantum objects, not particles following these literal paths. Sizes and motion are illustrative.
54 is the [Xe] core total across five shells.
At a glance
- Atomic number
- 80
- Atomic mass
- 200.5923 u
- Phase
- Liquid
- Density
- 13.534 g/cm³
- Melting point
- 234.321 K
- Boiling point
- 629.88 K
- First ionization energy
- 1,007.1 kJ/mol
- Electronegativity
- 2
- Electron affinity
- -48 kJ/mol
- Molar heat capacity
- 27.983 J/(mol·K)
- Period
- 6
- Appearance
- silvery
Conditions and isotopes affect measured properties. Some properties of short-lived elements are predicted. Electronegativity uses the Pauling scale.
Keep exploring
Explore the stories, imagery, and reference data in more depth. Properties with no value in the reference are marked unavailable.