Solid mercury melting

Mercury melts at about -39deg C. This mercury was originally cooled and made using liquid nitrogen. Here we are warming it back up with a hot water bath. It seems to melt in sections quite quickly.


mercury melting science tricks experiments liquid nitrogen quicksilver element cool 'mercury hg' 'science experiments' projects

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mercury
• melting
• science
• tricks
• experiments
• liquid
• nitrogen
• quicksilver
• element
• cool
• 'mercury
• hg'
• 'science
• experiments'
• projects

[Botemedlet]

what are the residues? I mean, nitrogen would have vaporized and it isnt mercury? Plastic from the cup?

[pooperscooper71]

@Botemedlet Im pretty sure that was water ice, even after I placed it in a warm water bath.

[pooperscooper71]

@superdau Seems you are correct. Thanks, I learned something new today. I guess the salts are what pose the danger.

[superdau]

@pooperscooper71

I wouldn't resommend it myself. I just wanted to point out the very common wrong view that mercury is a "touch-and-die" toxin. "Quicksilver" (liquid mercury) is not readily absorbed through skin or intestines (no injuries assumed).

The vapors or organic compounds of Hg on the other hand.... that's why it's really bad to break one of those old thermometers. Mercury will spill, fill crevices in the floor and vaporize over the time to come.

[pooperscooper71]

@superdau I wouldn't recommend it. Those globules get smaller and smaller and smaller and I think they might even enter through skin pores. You've heard the term 'mad as a hatter'?

[superdau]

@RaymondoLordo

Only if you don't know what you're doing. It's not that dangerous. You can hold it in your hand (shouldn't do it daily). I had a prof at uni, who told of drinking a sip of mercury once every year in a lecture demonstration to show it's not that dangerous in liquid form until they made him to stop it decades ago. He's still fine (around 70 now).

[killer2611]

looks like cocaine on mercury D:

[RaymondoLordo]

mercury is dangerous is can cause brain damage

[TheAmpking]

Really cool lol