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why mercury is liquid at room temperature??

why mercury is liquid at room temperature??

Grade:11

2 Answers

SAGAR SINGH - IIT DELHI
878 Points
13 years ago

Dear deeksha,

Mercury is a liquid at room temperature because the "relativistic contraction" of its atomic orbitals makes it behave chemically almost like a noble gas, not wanting to share electrons with other atoms, even other mercury atoms! Note that mercury is monatomic in the gas phase, just like a noble gas. Of course this should not be pushed too far; mercury is not a noble gas. There are enough outer-electron interactions for mercury to remain a liquid (radon, 22 amu heavier, is a gas), to conduct electricity, and to participate in ordinary chemical reactions.

 

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Prudhvi teja
83 Points
13 years ago

Dear deeksha

mercury has completely filled d10 electronic configuration. hence the extent of metallic bond formation is less as the orbitals are completely filled. due to weak interatomic forces of attraction, so mercyry exists as a liquid at room temperature

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Prudhvi Teja

 

 


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