Mercury
Mercury is a unique metallic element.
Looking at the periodic table above, look for the element Hg (Mercury) above. Hg has atomic number 80, which places it right in the center of our metals. Like other metals, it has a shiny luster and can conduct electricity. Mercury is a strange metal though....
Mercury is a liquid at 25° C
Look again at the periodic table. Do you see the 2 elements highlighted in blue? Mercury (Hg) and Bromine (Br) are the ONLY 2 elements that exist as a liquid at room temperature (25° C). Like any other liquid, mercury will flow to fit any container.
Is the planet of Mercury made of Hg?
Not quite. Mercury's unique liquid properties mean it flows and can move quickly. Humans have known about Mercury for thousands of years. The Romans dedicated gods to all aspects of life and the universe. Mercury was the messenger god of speed, so the "fast metal" was given the name in his honor.
The Romans also named the celestial bodies in honor of these gods. The planet closest to the sun has the smallest orbital and makes the fastest lap around our star. In the god's honor, that planet was named Mercury as well. There is probably trace amounts of Hg in Mercury's crust, but nothing significant we know about.
Is Mercury useful to us?
Vials of Mercury have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs that date back to 1500 BCE. The Egyptians were highly sophisticated, and believed to be experts in the fields of astronomy, engineering and health science. They didn't just keep vials of Mercury for nothing! In China and Tibet, as well as a number of other ancient societies, Mercury was used as a "medical remedy" and even to chase away "evil spirits".
We now know that Mercury is a neurotoxin, but it wasn't very long ago that people used Mercury-mixed amalgams in dental fillings. Mercury is resistant to acid degradation and was easy to mix with other metals to flow during the operation and then cure at body temperature. This made for a lot of Mercury-Silver mouths. Ask your parents and grandparents if they had Mercury fillings!
Travis Scott spent $25k on his grill, which is made of 100% non-Mercury metals.
WARNING: MERCURY IS VERY BAD FOR YOUR BRAIN.
Mercury ionizes rapidly to become a Hg++ ion, which causes a number of problems for the proteins and membranes of almost all of the cells in your body. The exact mechanics for mercury toxicity are still only speculated upon, but it is known to cause many neurological issues as well as various cancers.
"The inhalation of elemental mercury vapours can cause neurological and behavioural disorders, such as tremors, emotional instability, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular changes and headaches. They can also harm the kidneys and thyroid. High exposures have also led to deaths." (GreenFacts, 2020)
Methylmercury, the chemical discussed in the video, has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier much more rapidly and is significantly more dangerous.
Mercury was hot stuff in the history of temperature. Despite the neurological issues we now know about, Mercury was fundamental for developing our temperature scales. Because of it's distinct look and specific heat capacity, Mercury was very used as the material inside thermometers because a specific quantity of Mercury will always expand to the same volume at a specified temperature. This allowed scientists to accurately measure and standardize the scales of °C (Celsius), °F (Fahrenheit), and K (Kelvin)
If this scientist was able to reach Absolute Zero (0 K), he'd be one cool dude. That's -273.15 °C, or −459.67 °F for those non-scientists.
My Mercury (15 points) + 5 EC
(9 points) Create a single Google Spreadsheet that includes a temperature conversion formula. Embed each of the 3 sheet tabs as individual inserts like linked below. 1 point for the correct conversion, 1 point for formatting, 1 point for embedding * 3 sheets = 9 points total
(6 points) Collect the temperatures on your Birthday within Los Angeles (Burbank Airport seems to be the most reliable source) using Weather Underground's temperature database. Format this data in a table (2 points). Convert the temperature from F to K (1 point). Insert a graph of your data (2 points) with a best fit line (1 point)
EXTRA CRED (5 points)
Small amounts of mercury and methylmercury can be consumed by eating certain seafood. Some foods (shark, swordfish) are considered higher in mercury, so it is not recommended to you eat those products frequently. There have been reports of cities in Japan that have suffered from widespread Mercury poisoning as a result of consuming illegal dolphin meat.
Create a Google Slide presentation that advocates for or against eating canned Tuna in regards to Mercury consumption. Are there certain brands that are more safe/lower Mercury than others? Are there certain people that should avoid Tuna? What concentrations are safe? How many cans of Tuna can we eat safely? Can we legitimately eat too much tuna?