The element is also known as quicksilver for its mobility. Named after the fastest-moving planet in the solar system, mercury has been known to humanity for ages. In fact, evidence of its use has been found in China, India and Egypt, and traces of mercury were found in 3,500-year-old Egyptian tombs. read more
Mercury is a shiny, silvery liquid metal , sometimes called quicksilver. It is a transition metal with atomic number 80 on the periodic table, atomic weight of 200.59, and the element symbol Hg. Here are 10 interesting element facts about mercury. You can find detailed information about mercury on the mercury facts page. read more
Mercury looks pretty, in its shiny, fast-moving liquid form, but don't touch! It can be extremely poisonous to humans. The symbol Hg that mercury is known by comes from its Greek name, hydrargyrum, which means"liquid silver" — to reflect its shiny surface. The element is also known as quicksilver for its mobility. read more
Miscellaneous Mercury Facts Mercury compounds with the +2 oxidation states are known as 'mercuric' in older texts. Example: HgCl 2 was known as mercuric chloride. read more
The element Mercury is named for the Roman god Mercury. Mercury is the only element to retain its alchemical name as its modern common name. The element was known to ancient civilizations, dating back to at least 2000 BC. read more
Mercury is the only metal which is still known by its alchemical planetary name. Not only this, even the ancient planetary symbol (☿) is used even today to represent the element. The triple point of mercury is a fixed point on the International Temperature Scale. read more