Mercury

Mercury
An Internet Hotlist on Mercury

created by kaylirittall09

Introduction | General Information | Toxicity | Uses | Other

Introduction

Image from http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/3091489/2/istockphoto_3091489_mercury.jpg

Name: Mercury
Symbol: Hg
The Atomic Number is 80
The Atomic Mass is 200.59
Physical Properties: Silver, Liquid at room temperature,
Chemical Properties: Heavy, Boiling point is 356.6 degree Celcius, Density is 13.456 g/cm3
Mercury is a very toxic element
Mercury is used in thermometers and barometers but is not being replaced by alcohol filled themometers because of its toxicity
Mercury is not commonly found in nature and is only manufatured in Italy and Spain as (HgS)
Mercury has been known to the ancient Egyptians and Chinese and has been found in Egyptian tombs of 1500 B.C.
'The phrase 'mad as a hatter' owes its origin to symptoms of mercury poisoning that afflicted hatmakers in the 1800s, when a mercury compound was used to prepare beaver fur and felt materials'

The Internet Resources

General Information

ChemicalElements/Mercury - Along with the basic information, this website also gives information about the atomic structure, and isotopes. From this website I have learned that mercury has 7 stable isptopes. I have also learned how many electrons are on each level in an atom of mercury. For precise information about the atomic structure of mercury, this website works very well. I give this website 4 mercury hugs.
Education/mercury - Who knew mercury the element was named after the planet mercury. It comes from a Greek word and has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. This website explains alloys in more detail and what they do exactly. It has 7 stable isotopes. Spain and Italy produce half the worlds supply of the element because it is not found free in nature. Longer than others, btu shorter than some, this article is a very good one in terms of good information that other websites do not include. I give this website 5 mercury hugs.
Encarta/mercury - Although it only explains four different topics about mercury, it describes the four topics well. It identifies the basics of the element mercury, its color, form at room temperature, atomic number, and melting and boiling points. Mercury is used in barometers and is toxic to humans. It describes the ways that you could possibly get mercury poisoning, which is from fish that live in an environment with mercury in the water. This website has a good layout, and is easy to follow. The information is easy to read and understand. I give this website four mercury hugs.
Hermograph/Mercury - Many websites just list the description of the element mercury but this website gives examples in relation to other things that help describe it better. “It is dense, 13.6 times that of water”. “Its Latin name hydrargyrum means 'liquid silver' and is the origin of Mercury's chemical symbol Hg”. This website gives very helpful and descriptive information that helps me better understand this element. I give this website 5 mercury hugs.
Tamuk/mercury - This website is very short and only names the properties of mercury such as its atomic number, symbol, atomic weight, color and its state at room temperature. It briefly mentions that it combines with silver and gold to form alloys. The toxicity is explained and how it can cause seriously problems to your body if not handled correctly. Overall, I give this website 2 mercury hugs.
Wikipedia/Mercury - This website describes the different functions for the use of mercury. First off it describes what mercury actually is and gives its “nicknames”. It includes what mercury is used in and the toxicity of it as well. It gives information such as that mercury is a very rare element. I give this website 4 mercury hugs in terms of information and layout.

Toxicity

Chemsoc/Mercury - The element mercury us names after the planet mercury and has been known about for thousands of years. We each have a daily intake of about 0.01 milligram of mercury, and about .3 milligrams in a lifetime. Fish is the main source of mercury consumption. The fish absorb the form of mercury, methyl mercury. I give this website 3 mercury hugs.
HBCI/Mercury - On this website, they describe the chemicals formed from mercury and their uses. It also has a chart that compares mercury exposure and children with autism. This information is very interesting in that it is the first of its kind out of all the websites I have looked at so far. This website also talks about where mercury tends to go to when absorbed into the body, places like the liver, brain and heart muscle. I give this website 5 mercury hugs for good and unique information.
Infoplease/Mercury - This website is specifically about the natural occurrences and uses of Mercury. It describes the basic uses of mercury, which are used in different types of thermometers and barometers. Mercury compounds also have many uses. Mercury chloride is used in rat poison while mercuric oxide is used in skin ointments. Overall I give this website 3 mercury hugs.
Jrank/mercury - Although the website itself is colorless and dull, the article is appealing. It describes ways of mercury to enter the body such as through fish, eggs, meat and grains. The parts of the body that mercury affects when entered the body are explained and the symptoms of the damage. Horrifying information about mercury being dumped into the water because it was thought to be harmless is explained as well. This article gives good information about the toxicity of mercury. I give this website 4 mercury hugs.
Lennetech/Mercury - On top of the information given in other websites, this one lists the effects mercury has on humans. It can cause disruption of the nervous system, damage to brain functions and even DNA damage. Mercury does not have the same effect on animals though. In animals, mercury can cause kidney damage, stomach disruption, or damage to the intestines. This website is very good in terms of finding out information about the side-effects of coming in contact with mercury. I gave this website 4 mercury hugs.
WebElements/Mercury - Like the other websites, this website gives the basic information about mercury. Atomic mass, the states it’s found in, nicknames, and the source of toxicity. Mercury itself is not found in nature, and therefore is not the direct source of the toxicity but methyl mercury is. Safety when around mercury is discussed and how to keep yourself safe from coming in direct contact with this toxic element. I give this website 3 mercury hugs.
Zyra/Mercury - First arriving at this website, it seems very dark and mysterious. The information is very staright forward in short choppy sentences. The nicknames, density, toxicity and uses are mentioned but not explained in detail. There is not much information given other than the basics of the element. I give this website only 2 mercury hugs.

Uses

Science Daily/mercury - This article talks about the ways in which mercury used to be used. Since it was found to be deadly, alcohol filled thermometers and barometers are more favored. A comparison with lead was stated in the fact that they are both neurotoxins and can cause deformities in young children. This article is very brief. I only give it 2 mercury hugs.

Other

Newton/mercury - Unlike the other websites that just describe the characteristics of mercury, this website has a question from someone about mercury in space and what will happen to it. It talks about the shapes mercury will form under the certain circumstances. The answer is very interesting in the fact that is it very different then all of the information found so far. I give this website 3 mercury hugs.

Content by kaylirittall09, krittall@sbschool.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listmercuryka.html
Last revised Sun Dec 16 13:24:30 US/Pacific 2007