zinc cadmium and mercury are volatile metals. But, only mercury is a liquid at room temperature and the other two are solids. M.P.s increase down the groups. so, zinc should have been liquid and not mercury.Justify the observed Melting points.

Dear srinivas,

Zinc has relatively low melting point.Cadmium is more volatile than zinc and it is a fairly soft, white metal. It also has lower melting points and boiling points than those of zinc.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.Mercury is the only metal that remains liquid at room temperature and is nicknamed quicksilver.

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