Which is more dense?? MERCURY, LEAD, or TUNGSTEN

[Daggawaggaboof]

oh wow a pool of mercury

[oracle2world]

Why the gloves? Stop being a p*.

[kevito666]

Moar fuel for the fire...

Densities near NIST STP:

lead = 11.34g/cc

mercury = 13.54g/cc

tungsten = 19.25g/cc

depleted uranium = 19.1g/cc

[fxtrader92]

Well, get out an atomic chart and see what the atomic number is for each element. The larger the number the denser it is.

[fxtrader92]

@fxtrader92 For the record, Lead with an atomic number of 82 is the densest, Mercury (80), Tungsten(74)

[1039smoothslaphours]

@fxtrader92 Atomic number doesn't mean everything about the density of a substance. Density is dependent on the way the electrons interact with each other.

[fxtrader92]

@1039smoothslaphours Technically, density is mass per unit volume so you should use the atomic weight to determine which is denser. The interaction of electrons does not affect the mass and is therefore irrelevant.

A quick look at the periodic chart is all that is needed to know which is the most dense.

[Ramos1990]

@fxtrader92 Wrong! Atomic weight is only half of what you use to determine density, electron interaction is how we determine volume. For example, lets take carbon, atomic weight of around 12.01 g/mol. What is the density of carbon? If what you say is true then it should always be the same, irrelevent of how its electron interact. Graphitic carbon has a density 2.267 g/cc, while diamond carbon is around 3.515 g/cc. The electron interaction determines crystal structure and therefore the volume!

[fxtrader92]

@Ramos1990 You're wrong. You even prove my point in your statement. Density is mass per unit volume. That was my point. UNIT VOLUME is constant.

And so you're saying Tungsten is more dense than Lead? You can measure all the electron interactions all you want and in a million years Lead will always be more dense in every measurement.

[Ramos1990]

@fxtrader92 you are still wrong! unit volume depends on the crystal structure the element forms! That's the whole point I'm trying to make, lead forms a FCC crystal structure. volume is determined by how the metal atoms bond with each other and the radius of each atom. Tungsten forms a BCC crystal structure, leading to a closer packed crystal lattice. Did you even look up the densities of these elemental forms before commenting? Tungsten is 19.25 g/cc, lead is 11.34 g/cc, lead is not denser

[godthrone1]

ok, I am trying to figure out if you were wearing gloves when playing with that stuff and if you planed on getting that mercury out of that sample tray without spiling it on yourself and killing you?

[darcyryan99]

which ever one is closer to the bottom left corner of the periodic table is denser because the atoms nucleus is bigger. at least with these elements anyway

[frother]

@darcyryan99

the bottom right corner is heavier than the bottom left corner

[tagga180]

people below are adding all these scientific crap... this shit is so simple... density -____-

[BillRayDrums]

Sarah Palin trumps them all.

[thatisfunnyveryfunny]

the density or tungsten is more then mercury thats why it sinks, while the density of lead is less then mercury and thats why it floats

[gyrolabs]

density of mercury 13.5

density of lead 11.3

density of tungsten 19.2..

so there is no surprise here..but the objects are not weighting much and mercury might have a good surface tension force with a more density material(say tungsten here which sunk) if shaped properly, it may float other than sinking..that might seem a surprise if we just compare the density values..

[jib1000]

I guess you could have just looked at the periodic table...

[appa609]

tungsten is denser, but it may have satisfied some viewers if they saw you break the surface tension of the mercury with the lead.

[Empirical1980]

Atomic Mass of Lead = 207, Tungsten = 183.85 and Mercury = 200.59. Lead is heavier than mercury so should sink, Tungsten is lighter than Mercury so should float. Whats going on!?

[Gmc42082]

@Empirical1980 atomic mass and density are 2 different things. an atom or compound can have a high molar mass but not be all that dense. look at the molar mass of Tributyl phosphate (266.32 g/mol) but its density is 0.9727 g/cm3. while water has a molar mas of 18.01528g/mol,but a density of 1 g/cm3.so tributyl phosphate would float on water even though its molar mass is higher, its density is less than H2O

[pielord640]

@Gmc42082 in english plz?

[pardusardens]

@pielord640 Atomic mass tells you how massive an atom is, but it doesn't tell you how tightly packed the atoms are. If atom A is twice as heavy as atom B, but atom B likes to be packed together twice as close (so the same volume has eight times more of atom B), then material B is four times more dense even though atom A has twice the atomic mass. The packing density ("lattice spacing" in solid state physics) has to do with the electrons, but atomic mass only really tells you about the nucleus!

[pielord640]

@pardusardens congratulations u officially made my pink blob thing explode

[dondude69]

@Empirical1980 Density.

[pardusardens]

@Empirical1980 To be fair, however, your argument is semi-reliable with gases at low pressu re and high temperature, which lets you ignore the interaction between molecules. You just need to watch for whether a particular gas likes to be molecular (like hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen) or atomic (like argon). Solids and liquids are much more complicated, however, because the powerful interaction is what makes them different from gases!

[obenrob]

what is tungsten it is like the danish word for heavy stone

[soylentgreenb]

@obenrob I believe it's known either as wolfram or volfram in Danish. It was isolated by Carl Wilhelm Scheele in Sweden from a particularly heavy stone.

[keepup32323]

W > Hg > Pb

[belyear]

Mmm Mercury vapors!

[TheDrkKnght1988]

Tungsten (W) is much denser than mercury.

[75SilentWarrior]

@TheDrkKnght1988 Look at a periodic table, larger the number the denser the material, Tungsten- 74 Lead- 82.

[dragonridley]

Next: gold an Osmium.

[Frresh123]

Tungsten > Mercury > Lead .

[darksideofthebrick13]

gold

[blizzardWoW]

tungsten is steel -_-' afcourse lead will be more dense

[ericm1988]

MERCURY IS DENSER

[aklotz]

Where did you get all that Hg?

[nbaietti]

I dont think surface tension is a factor here, I believe that tungsten is actually denser anyway... cool...!

[sciencoking]

amazing to see lead floating o_O

[Orthinology]

Because of mercurys high density, the lead floats on it :D

[sciencoking]

i know... still amazign :D

[Onyxwolf3]

well yes, it is because of the density, but the surface tension also helps. for example, a paper clip can float on water if put on there right, because of the attraction between molecules of H2O. but yes, mercury is denser.

[SandSnip3r]

Tungsten is the metal used in the core of Armor Piercing ammunition

[chifylube]

Or depleted Uranium for the really expensive stuff.

[shortymiget52]

too bad its not water

[snaroki]

mercury

[frostwarrior19892]

The surface of the "touching" area counts as well. Thats why an steel boat can float in water.

[Basco36]

Tungsten is natually heavier than lead in weight thoe

[marek0086]

@Basco36~ U know that that Mercury is fuming. And you're inhaling those fumes!

Do u know how toxic Mercury is?!

[Weirdo10o4]

Translate your last message. Why does a steel boat float?

[Orthinology]

The boat, with the including air, have a lower density than water, and therefore floats.

[MisterPie1]

It's density is never changed. The only thing that changed was the shape, meaning that the metal displaces enough water to create a balance between bouyancy and gravity.

[chifylube]

If the amount of water displaced weighs more than the weight of the metal boat, then the water will be able to hold up the boat.

[Basco36]

tungsten i think is heavier that lead though.

[chifylube]

Densities in Order:

Tungsten: 19.25 g·cm−3

Mercury: (liquid) 13.534 g·cm−3

Lead: 11.34 g·cm−3

So in this case, no matter what the shape, the lead is going to float in the mercury. Changing the shape of the tungsten could make the it float as well.

[LukeL007]

Not if there isn't enough mercury to displace the mass of the lead, this is why you cannot float in a bathtub.

[vitorix24]

@chifylube yap that´s rigth

[volatileant]

@frostwarrior19892

I think you mean the displacement compared to mass counts. In the video, what appears to be a solid piece is used, negating this fact.

[Numan0411]

@frostwarrior19892 the reason a steel boat can float on water is simply because the boat displaces water equavalent to the boats mass, in oder words if you took steel in the same shape as the lead in the vid it would sink in water, if you dont see it just use foil and make it into a shape of a boat and it will float of water or make a ball and it will sink :D Tungsten>Mercury>Lead hope this helps

[Snakecharmer95]

@frostwarrior19892 a steel boat can float in water bcuz it's less dense the water. also its hollow.

[frother]

@Snakecharmer95

ONLY because it's hollow

[Motobias]

@frostwarrior19892 bullshit ! look up archimedes and relative density...

surface tension is absolutely minor in this scale...

[Ramos1990]

@frostwarrior19892 no you're wrong here. A steel boat floats in water because of Archimedes' Principle. The weight of the displaced water is equivalent to the weight of the boat. In essence, If you take the entire boat and measured its volume and mass and get a boat "density" it will still be less dense than water. Buoyant forces always depend on fluid density and the average density of whatever is being submerged.

[c1h2a3d4b5e6e7m8a9n]

@frostwarrior19892 yes but the reason the metal boat can float is because there is air in the area of displaced water, if it was completely metal theres no way it would float.

[rydas]

Tungsten is a swedish word for Heavy-stone.

[rlh198506]

Go on then which is more dense Gold or Tungsten?

[chao129]

they're about the same density

[Preytor13]

o damn, that's a helluva lot of mercury!

cool experiment, thx for sharing

[SpeedyNY]

i guess all of you are idiots, huh. It is the shape of the objects that is important. That explains what an aircraft carrier floats on water. Or do you think water is denser than steel?

[MuscIeBound]

You're an idiot..

[SpeedyNY]

No, you're the idiot with your name. LMAO!

[mikeorx120]

no hes right, your an idiot, its not the shape of the carriar, its the air it holds hostage underneath it.

[snaroki]

Actually it's the water tension. When you have a vast amount of water the tension is spread throughout. Making the strain lighter, and able to float

[dajwilkinson]

A solid, thin steel needle can float on water, relative densities notwithstanding, due to surface tension. Mercury doesn't work that way - it doesn't "wet" things well: water in a test tube has a lower surface in the middle than the edges because it wets the glass. Mercury in a test tube is lower at the edges because it doesn't (steel floats in Hg only because of its lower density).

Mercury kind of keeps itself to itself - which is why this very rare element is in practice so easy to find!

[polonium9]

i am guessing the tungsten and i like mercury to an extent that it is just kinda unnatural

[Basco36]

not really, but iron isn't as heavy as lead, everyone knows lead is a very heavy metal which is why I used it in this experiment, its surprising to see it float.

[orion1077]

@Basco36

Volume...bouyancy is dependent on volume...THAT's why steel boats float.

In order for something to float on a liquid, the liquid needs to apply to that "something" a force greater(and opposite) than the "something's" weight.

This force is dependent on the volume on the "something" and the special gravity of the liquid...if i remember correctly.

[vmelkon]

Lead mixes with mercury. It's better to try it with iron since it doesn't blend with it.

[Jemlink]

lol, or lead with some saran-wrap around it