2007-06-04 08:40:15 · 4 answers · asked by khadija 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.
Mercury has very high surface tension so droplets assume a somewhat spherical shape and mercury usually does not wet the surface of its container due to this surface temperature.
Mercury is probably the most dense liquid at room temperature.
These are physical uniqueness of mercury.
2007-06-04 08:46:17 · answer #1 · answered by GTB 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the relativistic speeds at which the electrons orbit near the heavy mercury nucleus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_12_element
This wikipedia entry sums it up pretty well. I have no idea why the info isnt in the mercury entry. If I hadnt know the answer already I wouldnt have been able to find it.
For a more in depth explanation I would recommend Greenwood's "Chemistry of the Elements" or Cotton's "Advanced Inorganic Chemistry".
2007-06-04 16:44:53 · answer #2 · answered by kay185 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mercury was also the first metal proven to exhibit superconductivity at extremely low temperatures (4 K)
2007-06-05 13:02:09 · answer #3 · answered by Vangorn2000 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cohesion-similar acting to water and it's cohesive property between molecules.
2007-06-04 16:29:03 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋