🌡️ 1. Liquid at Room Temperature
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Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions (~25°C).
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This makes it useful in thermometers and barometers.
⚖️ 2. High Density
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Despite being a liquid, mercury is very dense (13.6 g/cm³).
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A small volume weighs significantly more than most other liquids.
🧲 3. Poor Conductor of Heat
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Unlike other metals, mercury is a poor thermal conductor.
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But it is a good electrical conductor.
🌪️ 4. Surface Tension
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Mercury forms perfect, round droplets due to its very high surface tension.
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It doesn’t wet glass or surfaces easily.
☠️ 5. Toxic and Volatile
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Mercury can evaporate at room temperature, releasing toxic vapors.
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Chronic exposure can damage the brain, kidneys, and nervous system.
🧬 6. Amalgam Formation
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Mercury forms amalgams (alloys) with many metals like silver, gold, tin.
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This was once used in dental fillings and gold mining.
🪨 7. Found in Ore Cinnabar
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It is mostly extracted from the red mineral cinnabar (HgS).
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Cinnabar has been used as a pigment (vermillion) in ancient times.
🌐 8. Non-Stick Metal
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Mercury doesn’t stick to most containers or surfaces.
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That's why it's often stored in sealed glass or plastic tubes.
🔬 9. Relativistic Effects
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Mercury's electrons move so fast that relativistic effects cause weaker metallic bonding — explaining its liquid state.
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This makes mercury’s behavior quantum-mechanically unique among metals.
🧪 10. No Reaction with Most Acids
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Mercury doesn’t react with dilute acids easily.
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However, it does react with oxidizing acids like nitric acid.