Question

Give a short information about Mercury.

Answer 1

Hint - Mercury is a chemical element, which has the symbol Hg and atomic number 80 and is a transition metal used in barometers, thermometers and other scientific equipment.
Mercury is silvery in color which is a heavy, d-block metal and one of the only metallic elements that is liquid at room temperature and standard conditions of pressure. And the other elements with this property Halogen bromine, and metals including caesium, rubidium and gallium melt just above room temperature.

Complete step-by-step answer:
Mercury is also used in manometers (in measuring pressure), float valves (used in domestic water systems), mercury switches (electrical switches), sphygmomanometers (measuring blood pressure), fluorescent lamps (producing visible lights using Fluorescence) and other equipment.
When we talk about the physical properties of Mercury, it is a silvery-white liquid metal which is a poor conductor of heat and a fair conductor of electricity. It has a freezing point of $ - 38.83{\,^o}C$ and when we talk about boiling point, it is $356.73{\,^o}C$. Solid mercury is malleable (easily changed into a shape) and ductile (drawn out into thin wire) and can be cut easily with a knife.
When we talk about chemical properties of Mercury, it does not react with acids, but when reacted with oxidizing acids (conc. Nitric acid, etc.), it gets dissolved and gives nitrate. Mercury also reacts with atmospheric hydrogen sulfide. It also dissolves gold and silver to form amalgams.

Note - The toxicity of mercury has led to mercury thermometers and sphygmomanometers being largely replaced by other alternatives for a better clinical study. Alternatives for mercury thermometers are preferred such as alcohol filled glass thermometers and infra-red based electronic instruments. Similarly, mechanical pressure gauges have replaced mercury sphygmomanometers.