Hg Mercury Full Form
What is the full form of HG?
Hg stands for "Hydragyrum." It is a symbol that is used to represent mercury. The atomic number of mercury is 80, and it is also known as quick-silver. Mercury is an element that is in liquid form at normal temperatures. Hydrargyrum originated from the Greek words "hydro,” which means water, and "argyros,” which means silver. It is a silver, white liquid metal. Mercury occurs in different forms, such as cinnabar, which is also known as mercuric sulphide. Vermilion, which is a red pigment, is obtained by grinding of cinnabar.
Mercury is used in various medical equipment such as mercury relays, barometers, thermometers, sphygmomanometers, etc. Mercury is a poor conductor of heat. The important mercury salts are mercuric chloride, mercury fulminate, and mercuric sulphide.The traces of mercury were found in 3500 years by Egyptian tombs. Mercury is present in the environment in the presence of both human and natural activities.
Properties of mercury
The properties of mercury are listed below:
Mercury can be converted into a solid at a temperature of -38.85 degrees centigrade.
It can be converted into gaseous form when boiled at 365.6 degrees centigrade.
Mercury has high surface tension
It is a good conductor of electricity
It does not react with acids like nitric acid and sulphuric acid.
It dissolves metals like gold and silver to form amalgams.
It is moderately active.
It does not react with the oxygen present in the air.
Mercury is a silvery white coloured metal
Mercury expands at very high temperatures and contracts at low temperatures.
Effects of mercury
Exposure to mercury may cause health effects and environmental problems as given below:
Irritation to the eyes and skin
Damage the nervous system, liver and immune systems
Difficulty in breathing
Chest pain
Headache and weakness
Weight loss
Loss of hearing
Blindness mental retardation
Suppress growth of plants
Mercury from soils accumulate into mushrooms
Causes digestive problems, and damages the brain and kidneys of animals
The concentration of mercury increases due to the mobilisation of mercury in the soil.
Applications of mercury
The major application areas of mercury are:
Electrical and electronics applications
Medical equipments
Fluorescent lamps
Used in the preparation of chlorine and caustic soda
Laboratory uses
Niche uses
Cosmetic products
Fire Alarms
Used as an insecticide
Used in batteries and cells
Electrical switches
Skin ointments
Contact lens
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Mercury is a metal that occurs in the crust of the earth. It is rarely present in nature as a pure form but is found in the form of compounds and organic salts. It is extracted as mercury sulphide from nature, which is also known as cinnabar. Mercury is also released into the environment through volcanic eruptions, human activities, and the weathering of rocks.
Mercury was first discovered during 1500 BC. It was among the first metals known. Archaeologists found mercury in an Egyptian tombs period and Hindus, ancient Chinese, understood about the mercury at this time.
The special feature of mercury is that it is slippery in nature, meaning we cannot hold it with our hands, and the other feature is that it is too heavy. Even two tablespoons of mercury weigh more than a pound.
Some facts of mercury are as follows:
The atomic number of mercury is 80. This number indicates the number of protons present in the nucleus.
The atomic weight of mercury is 200.59 grams
The density of mercury is 13.5336 grams per centimetre cube.
The number of stable isotopes is 7.
The mercury is a metal that is not used in planes because it reacts with the aluminium, and the aluminium is commonly used in planes. When the mercury reacts with aluminium, the oxide layer present on the aluminium is disrupted, which leads to the corrosion and rusting of the metals used in the manufacture of aeroplanes.