why is mercury liquid at room temperature and all other metals are solid at room temperature?

Answer 1

Mercury is also called quicksilver, is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Hg (Latinized Greek: hydrargyrum, meaning watery or liquid silver) and atomic number 80. A heavy, silvery transition metal, mercury is one of five elements that are liquid at or near standard room temperature and pressure[1] (the others are the metals caesium, francium, and gallium, and the nonmetal bromine). Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers and other scientific apparatus, although the use of mercury in thermometers has been largely phased out in clinical and scientific environments (in favor of alcohol-filled, digital or thermistor-based replacements) due to concerns about the element's toxicity. Mercury is still used in dental amalgam. Mercury is mostly obtained by reduction from the mineral cinnabar. Mercury, like lead, is a neurotoxin, and elevated blood mercury levels have led to retardation and deformities in children.

Answer 2

First off, I do not know, but others have explained it. The same explaination is for the "gold" color of gold. A Prof. Schmidbauer of Germany has explained it on the basis of the high speed if electrons orbiting Au and Hg in the first or K-shell. According to Newton's physics, in order to keep from falling into the nucleus, the K-shell electrons of Au and Hg must travel close to the speed of light. Naturally, that increases their mass. Naturally, that has an effect on all the other electrons in the atoms. I myself do not remember the explanation for all of this, but you can go to Google and enter key words "Schmidbauer" "gold" "mercury" "relativistic calculations."

Answer 3

http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/inorganic/faq/why-is-mercury-liquid.shtml

fun fact: if youve ever watched Alice In Wonderland. they called that dood the Mad Hatter because the mercury used to treat his hat made him go crazy. In Western Europe, alot of guys went crazy because there was mercury on their hats. :P