Today Wonderopolis is discussing mercury. Or is it Mercury? If you have knowledge about mercury (or Mercury!), you are aware that some clarification is needed!
In ancient Roman mythology, Mercury was one of the gods. Specifically, Mercury was the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Hermes. As the messenger of the gods, Mercury was often depicted as a sleek figure with winged sandals.
However, Mercury is not just a “who.” It is also a celestial body. Named after the ancient Roman god, Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun. It is also the smallest planet. It completes one orbit around the Sun every 88 days.
Mercury bears a striking resemblance to Earth’s Moon. It has a minimal atmosphere, resulting in extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night. A single day on Mercury can experience temperatures as low as -300° F and as high as 800° F!
Due to its smaller size, Mercury has lower gravity compared to Earth. If you weigh 70 pounds on Earth, you would weigh only approximately 27 pounds on Mercury! Mercury primarily consists of heavy metals, such as iron. This is fitting since the planet inspired the name of one of the chemical elements found on Earth: mercury.
Mercury, the chemical element, is a metal represented by the symbol Hg. Hg stands for Hydrargyrum, which translates to “liquid silver.” The element mercury is sometimes referred to as quicksilver as well.
Mercury is one of the few elements, and the only metal, that remains in a liquid state at room temperature and pressure. It can solidify when it freezes at around -38° F and vaporize when it boils at approximately 674° F.
A heavy, silvery metal, mercury and its compounds are highly toxic. Pure mercury is rarely found; instead, it is commonly found in the form of an ore called cinnabar (mercuric sulfide or HgS). To extract mercury, cinnabar is heated and its vapor is distilled into liquid mercury.
Mercury is widely used in various products today. Some popular applications include thermometers, barometers, mercury vapor lamps, mercury switches, pesticides, batteries, pigments, and dental products.
Try It Out
Enlist a few friends or family members to assist you in exploring one or more of the following enjoyable activities to further enhance your knowledge about mercury (or Mercury!):
- Do you have any interest in living on Mercury? Go online to explore Mercury in more detail. Based on what you learn, make a decision about whether or not you would like to live on Mercury. Share your opinion with friends or family members. Do they agree? If you wouldn’t choose Mercury over Earth, would you be interested in visiting there? Explain your reasons.
- Have you ever observed a thermometer containing mercury? For most children, a mercury thermometer is one of the rare instances where they see mercury in action. Did you know that you can create your own thermometer without using mercury? It’s true! You only need a few simple materials, like a transparent bottle, water, rubbing alcohol, a straw, modeling clay, and food coloring. If you lack any of these items, ask a friend or family member to take you to the store to obtain what you need. Once you have your supplies ready, simply go online and follow the step-by-step instructions to Make A Thermometer!
- Feeling up for a challenge? Go online and conduct some basic research on the Roman deity Mercury. What characteristics did he possess? Do you share any traits with Mercury? Once you have a good understanding of who Mercury was and what he represented, write a brief story featuring Mercury. It can be based on something you learned about Mercury, or it can be a completely fictional account of what might occur if Mercury discovered a time machine and arrived on present-day Earth. The choice is yours. Let your creativity flow!
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