4 ms·
This submission was probably inspired by a recent post[1] on Derek Lowe’s blog. It’s an interesting read if you like this subject. Mercury has a much lower melt
by User23 7y ago
This submission was probably inspired by a recent post[1] on Derek Lowe’s blog. It’s an interesting read if you like this subject. Mercury has a much lower melting point because of relativistic effects.
Edit: I see it was resubmitted.
[1]https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2019/10/11/copernicium-is-a-strange-element-indeed https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2019/10/11/co...
- boblivion 7y agoWhat is it with mercury and relativity?
- tikej 7y agoMercury is the only metal liquid in the room temperature. It behaves that way thanks to the relativistic effects i.e. things that happen when electrons move close to the speed of light. Mercury’s place in periodic table is such that these effects are taken to the extreme due to its electron configuration. Here is nice popular article with references that explain more: https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/relativity-behind-mercurys-liquidity/6297.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/relativity-behind-mercur...