Mercury can be found in deposits all over the world, mostly as cinnabar (mercuric sulfide).
In thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, mercury relays, fluorescent lamps, and other devices, mercury is used. In some areas, mercury is still used in scientific research and amalgam for dental restoration.
Exposure to water-soluble mercury (such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury), inhalation of mercury vapour, or ingestion of any form of mercury can result in mercury poisoning.
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Definition: Mercury is a chemical element and the only common metal which is liquid at ordinary temperatures. It is commonly known as quicksilver and is heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. Mercury is a transition metal, where one of the elements is found between Group 2 (IIA) and 13 (IIIA) on the periodic table. |
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Mercury Chemistry Questions with Solutions
Q1. Mercury is a ___.
a.) Metal
b.) Non-metal
c.) Metalloid
d.) All of the above
Correct Answer- (a.) Metal
Q2. The colour of mercury is:
a.) Purple
b.) Brown -orange
c.) Silvery – grey
d.) Reddish-brown
Correct Answer- (c.) Silvery – grey
Q3. The state of mercury at room temperature is-
a.) solid
b.) liquid
c.) gaseous
d.) None of the above
Correct Answer- (b.) liquid
Q4. The symbol of mercury is:
a.) Mg
b.) Hg
c.) Me
d.) M
Correct Answer- (b.) Hg
Q5. What part of the Earth is mercury extracted from?
a.) The core
b.) The crust
c.) The mantle
d.) The volcanoes
Correct Answer. (b.) The crust
Q6. Does mercury rust?
Answer. Mercury is a relatively inert metal that is highly resistant to corrosion.
Q7. Is mercury combustible?
Answer. Mercury is not flammable. The agent does not burn, but when heated, it can produce corrosive and/or toxic fumes. Fire emits irritant, corrosive, and/or toxic gases.
Q8. State the magnetic character of mercury.
Answer. Mercury is not particularly magnetic at room temperature. It has a very low, negative magnetic susceptibility, which means that when exposed to a magnetic field, it magnetises just a tiny bit in the opposite direction. At room temperature, mercury is said to be a weakly diamagnetic substance.
Q9. Can mercury be considered toxic?
Answer. High levels of mercury exposure can harm people of all ages’ brains, hearts, kidneys, lungs, and immune systems. Methylmercury levels in the bloodstream of babies developing in the womb and young children may harm their developing nervous systems, impairing their ability to think and learn.
Q10. Fill in the blank.
The name of the ore of mercury is ____.
Answer. The name of the ore of mercury is Cinnabar. The compound is mercury (II) sulphide with the chemical formula HgS.
Q11. Fill in the blank.
Mercury is also known as ____.
Answer. Mercury is also known as quicksilver.
Q12. What is the atomic mass of mercury?
Answer. The atomic mass of mercury is 200.59 amu.
Q13. What is the name of the alloy of mercury?
Answer. The name of the mercury alloy is amalgam.
Any metal which gets alloyed by mercury is called amalgam. For example – Gold-mercury amalgam, Silver-mercury amalgam etc.
Q14. State the oxidation state of the mercury.
Answer. Mercury usually has an oxidation state of +1 or +2, but it can also have a +4 oxidation state. Mercury behaves like a noble gas due to its electron configuration. Mercury, like noble gases, forms relatively weak chemical bonds with other elements.
Q15. Explain the extraction of Mercury.
Answer. Cinnabar (HgS) is a mercury sulphide ore. Mercury is a less reactive metal that can be extracted from sulphide ore by simply heating it in the air.
Step 1: It is heated first in the presence of excess air. This is known as roasting. Cinnabar is converted into mercury (II) oxide during this process.
2HgS + 3O2 → 2HgO + 2SO2
Step 2: The oxide of mercury so formed is heated to around 300℃ and it gets reduced to the mercury metal.
2HgO → 2Hg + O2
Practise Questions on Mercury
Q1. The number of stable isotopes of mercury is-
a.) seven
b.) eight
c.) nine
d.) ten
Q2. The number of neutrons present in the mercury atom is-
a.) 120
b.) 121
c.) 122
d.) None of the above
Q3. State True or False.
Mercury is a man-made chemical.
Q4. Why is mercury not allowed in aircraft?
Q5. State some of the uses of the Mercury element?
Click the PDF to check the answers for Practice Questions.
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