WebElements Periodic Table of the Elements | Mercury

Chemical reactions of the elements

Reaction of mercury with air

Mercury metal reacts in air at about 350°C to form mercury(II) oxide.

2Hg(s) + O₂(g) → 2HgO(s) [red]

Reaction of mercury with water

Mercury does not react with water under normal conditions.

Reaction of mercury with the halogens

Mercury metal reacts with fluorine, F₂, chlorine, Cl₂, bromine, Br₂, or iodine, I₂, to form the dihalides mercury(II) fluoride, HgF₂, mercury(II) chloride, HgCl₂, mercury(II) bromide, HgBr₂, or mercury(II) iodide, HgI₂, respectively.

Hg(l) + F₂(g) → HgF₂(s) [white]

Hg(l) + Cl₂(g) → HgCl₂(s) [white]

Hg(l) + Br₂(l) → HgBr₂(s) [white]

Hg(l) + I₂(s) → HgI₂(s) [red]

Reaction of mercury with acids

Mercury does not react with non-oxidizing acids but does react with concentrated nitric acid, HNO₃, or concentrated sulphuric acid, H₂SO₄, to form mercury(II) compounds together with nitrogen or sulphur oxides.

Mercury dissolves slowly in dilute nitric acid to form mercury(I) nitrate, mercurous nitrate, Hg₂(NO₃)₂.

Reaction of mercury with bases

Mercury does not react with alkalis under normal conditions.

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Ag	Cd	In
Au	Hg	Tl
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Mercury
- Essential data: names, symbol, atomic number, and atomic weight; block, period, and group in periodic table; description; standard state; registry number; and isolation
- History: meaning of name; discovery; and history of the element
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Mercury around us
- Uses
- Geology: Abundance of elements in the universe; the sun; meteorites; Earth's crust; oceans; and streams
- Biology: Abundance in humans; biological role; and health hazards)
Mercury compounds
- Compounds: halides, oxides, sulfides, hydrides, and complexes; lattice energies; and reduction potentials
- Electronegativities: Pauling; Sanderson; Allred Rochow; Mulliken-Jaffe; and Allen
- Bond enthalpies of diatomic species
- Lattice energies
Element properties
- Physics properties: Boiling point; melting point; density; molar volume; thermal conductivity; and electrical resistivity; bulk modulus; critical temperature; superconductivity temperature; hardness (mineralogical, Brinell, and Vickers); linear expansion coefficient; Poisson's ratio; reflectivity; refractive index; rigidity modulus; Young's modulus; velocity of sound
- Images
- Reactions of mercury: reactions of mercury with air; water; halogens; acids; and bases
- Crystal structure
- Thermochemistry: enthalpies of atomization, fusion, and vaporization; thermodynamic properties
Atom properties
- Electron shell properties: Electronic configuration; term symbol; electron affinity; ionization energies; and atomic spectra
- Atom sizes: atomic radius; Shannon and Pauling ionic radii; covalent radius; metallic radius; element bond length; and Van der Waals radius
- Atomic orbital properties: effective nuclear charge; electron binding energies; and valence orbital radii maxima
Nuclear properties
- Isotopes: isotope abundances; radioactive isotopes; isotope masses; nuclear spins; and nuclear magnetic moment
- NMR properties: frequencies; isotopes; magnetogyric ratios; quadrupole moments; receptivities; and relative sensitivities

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