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Mercury

Mercury

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun and the smallest planet in our solar system. Mercury is also a naturally occurring element found in air, water and soil. Exposure to mercury can harm the human nervous system and brain, heart, kidneys and lungs.

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha.com for Mercury

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  1. Is there water on mercury?

    Maybe. Recent radar scans show that there may be ice in the b...

  2. How do you properly dispose of a broken mercury thermometer?

    Put on rubber gloves, place all broken objects on a paper tow...

  3. When is the next time that mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, and pluto will align?

    The next time scientists predict all the planets will align i...

  4. How many moles are present in 620 grams of mercury?

    .0024 * 620 = 1.48800 moles in 620 grams of mercury. Hope thi...

  5. What are the factors needed to make Mercury livable?

    Mercury is mainly made of iron with a thin rocky layer on the...

  1. Is there water on mercury?

    Maybe. Recent radar scans show that there may be ice in the b...

  2. What is the composition of mercury the planet?

    Mercury consists of approximately 70% metallic and 30% silica...

  3. Where is mercury located in the solar system?

    Scientists controlling the US space agency's MESSENGER space ...

  4. What is the revolution period of mercury?

    Mercury's rotational period is 58.6 days and its orbital peri...

  5. What modifications would be needed for humans to live on mercury?

    Some modifications that would need to be made before humans c...

  1. When is the next time that mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, and pluto will align?

    The next time scientists predict all the planets will align i...

  2. How much mercury is on earth's crust?

    Mercury (symbol: Hg) is a very rare element. Only about 8,400...

  3. What is ratio of gravity on the planet Mercury?

    Mercury's gravity on surface is 0.376 Earth's gravity. It's d...

  4. What is the spark plug gap on a 1992 Mercury sable 3.8 liter?

    The Mercury Sable is a mid-size (model years 1986-2005) or fu...

  5. What is the electron configuration for Mercury and its 2+ion?

    Electron configuration for Mercury: 1s2 2s2p6 3s2p6d10 4s2p6d...

Top Questions Asked on ChaCha Mobile for Mercury

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  1. How far can a Mercury Grand Marquis go when gas light is on?

    A Mercury Grand Marquis (year unknown) can typically do 24 to...

  2. What does extroverted mercury mean?

    The planet Mercury is considered "extroverted" (out-going, ha...

  3. What color is Mars, Venus, Mercury, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Pluto?

    Mars-red, Venus-yellowish-white, Mercury-grey, Uranus-light b...

  4. Where does mercury come from in nature?

    The chief source of Mercury is from an ore called cinnbar (Hg...

  5. Which is the largest body the moon, Pluto, Mercury or Ganymede?

    Ganymede, a moon of Jupiter is the largest at 5,262 km diamet...

  1. How many moons does the planet Mercury have?

    Mercury's moon has not officially been discovered, but appare...

  2. What happens when you heat up mercury?

    It boils and then evaporates if you're just heating plain mer...

  3. What does extroverted mercury mean?

    The planet Mercury is considered "extroverted" (out-going, ha...

  4. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons does mercury have?

    The element mercury has a total of 80 protons, 80 electrons a...

  5. Who makes mercury?

    Ford Company makes Mercury vehicles. Is this what you were re...

  1. Why does Mercury orbit the Sun?

    The basic reason why the planets revolve around, or orbit the...

  2. Does Ford make Mercury?

    Yes, Ford is the automobile company responsible for manufactu...

  3. Is mercury an element?

    Yes, Mercury is one of the transition elements of the periodi...

  4. What is the presssure that supports a column me mercury 760 millimeters go height?

    It is the atmospheric pressure that supports a column of merc...

  5. What are the charges of mercury and mercury 1?

    Take the two compounds HgCl2 is Hg+2 or Hg(II) Hg2Cl2 is Hg+1...

About Mercury

Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. It is also the closest planet to the sun. Its diameter is about 3,032 miles. Its temperature ranges from 840F during the day to -275F during the night. There is nearly no chance of life existing on Mercury because it has no atmosphere to shield it from cosmic radiation. Mercury is named after the Roman messenger God, also known as Hermes in Greek mythology.

Mercury (the element) is a liquid metal, also called quick silver. It is named after the planet Mercury. It is obtained from cinnabar and mainly produced in Italy and Spain. Its main use is in scientific equipment like thermometers and barometers.

In its gaseous state it is used in street lights and fluorescent lights. It is an extremely poisonous element. It can get into the body through the skin, digestive track and respiratory track. It then can cause severe illness or even death.

Dangers of Exposure to Mercury

Mercury is set loose in the environment when coal is burned. It settles in the ocean and accumulates in the bodies of fish, especially shellfish. When humans eat the fish they can ingest unsafe levels of mercury. Pregnant women are advised to avoid eating fish and shellfish during their pregnancy.

Mercury can also be ingested from breathing the air containing mercury from coal-burning power plants. Mercury is a by-product of the burning of coal.

The EPA has estimated that about one quarter of U.S. emissions from coal-burning power plants are deposited within the contiguous U.S. and the remainder enters the global cycle. Burning hazardous wastes, producing chlorine, breaking mercury products, and spilling mercury, as well as the improper treatment and disposal of products or wastes containing mercury, can also release it into the environment. Current estimates are that less than half of all mercury deposition within the U.S. comes from U.S. sources. epa.gov

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Mercury