Mercury
Real Metals · Uncommon · Timeless
The only metal that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury's strange properties (its weight, its fluidity, its silver brilliance) made it fascinating and mysterious to ancient cultures, who associated it with transformation, magic, and the planet of the same name.
Identity
- Symbol
- Hg
- Atomic number
- 80
- Source
- Natural element
- Aliases
- Hydrargyrum, Hg, Quicksilver
Physical Properties
- Appearance
- Brilliant silver-white liquid at room temperature, uniquely fluid and reflective
- Luster
- Metallic
- Density
- 13.53 g/cm³
- Melting point
- -39 °C
- Boiling point
- 357 °C
- Lighter
- Gromril
- Denser
- Ebony
- Magnetism
- Non-magnetic
- Electrical conductivity
- Medium
Mechanical Properties
- Mohs hardness
- 0
- Harder
- Lead
- Workability
- Easy
- Brittleness
- Tough
- Malleability
- None
- Ductility
- None
Chemical Properties
- Corrosion resistance
- high
- Reactivity
- low
Lore & Narrative
Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang was buried in a tomb reportedly featuring rivers of flowing mercury representing the seas of China. He likely died from mercury poisoning after consuming mercury-laced elixirs his alchemists promised would grant immortality.
- Notable uses
- Thermometers, barometers, gold extraction, alchemical processes
- Forge uses
- alchemical, measurement instruments
- Worldbuilding traits
- liquid, toxic, alchemical, transformative
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