What metals are relatively volatile and why ?

In the context of chemistry and materials science, when we refer to metals as "volatile," we are typically talking about their propensity to undergo significant vaporization or sublimation at relatively low temperatures and pressures. Several factors contribute to a metal's volatility:

Vapor Pressure: Metals with higher vapor pressures at a given temperature are more volatile. Vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor in thermodynamic equilibrium with its condensed phases (solid or liquid) at a given temperature in a closed system.

Sublimation: Some metals sublime directly from solid to vapor without passing through a liquid phase. This property often characterizes volatile metals.

Thermal Stability: Metals with weaker metallic bonds tend to be more volatile. Strong metallic bonds require more energy to break, thus making the metal less likely to vaporize.

Atomic Size and Structure: Metals with smaller atomic sizes and weaker interatomic forces are more likely to be volatile. This is because the atoms have less attraction to each other, making it easier for them to escape into the vapor phase.

Examples of metals that are relatively volatile include:

Mercury (Hg): Mercury is a notable example of a volatile metal. It is a liquid at room temperature and readily evaporates, even at moderate temperatures.

Cesium (Cs): Cesium is highly volatile and can readily vaporize even at room temperature. It's one of the most reactive and electropositive of all metals.

Rubidium (Rb): Rubidium is another alkali metal that is relatively volatile and can readily vaporize at elevated temperatures.

Gallium (Ga): Gallium is a metal that melts near room temperature (29.76 °C or 85.57 °F) and vaporizes shortly thereafter. It exhibits a significant vapor pressure even at moderate temperatures.

Zinc (Zn): While not as volatile as some of the other examples, zinc can vaporize at high temperatures, and its vapor pressure increases with temperature.

These metals are volatile due to a combination of factors including low melting points, relatively weak metallic bonds, and high vapor pressures at moderate temperatures.