Why does mercury vaporize at room temperature?

Mercury has a small vapor pressure, but still enough that it will completely evaporate over time. This is especially true if the temperature is comfortable and there is good ventilation.

What temperature does mercury turn to vapor?

A single vapor pressure point of mercury, the boiling point, was first measured in 1801 by Dalton [26], who obtained a value corresponding to 622 K; shortly thereafter, in 1803, Crichton [27] mentioned that the normal boiling point is above a temperature corresponding to 619 K.

Are mercury fumes toxic?

Elemental and methylmercury are toxic to the central and peripheral nervous systems. The inhalation of mercury vapour can produce harmful effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys, and may be fatal.

What form is mercury at room temperature?

liquid
Mercury is both a liquid at room temperature (as it has a very low melting point of -39C) and a metal.

Is it illegal to have a mercury thermometer?

Those days have passed. Since 2001, 20 states have banned mercury “fever thermometers” for medical use, and regulations tighten every year. But as of today the federal government has more or less killed the mercury thermometer in the United States—NIST has announced it will no longer calibrate mercury thermometers.

Why is mercury not solid at room temperature?

Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure. Mercury has a unique electron configuration which strongly resists removal of an electron, making it behave similarly to noble gas elements. As a result, mercury forms weak bonds and is a liquid at room temperature.

Why did they stop selling mercury thermometers?

The reason: Mercury released into the environment from a broken thermometer is highly poisonous. So government and state agencies have mounted campaigns to end the use of thermometers that contain the liquid metal. Federal and state authorities have lobbied since 2002 for bans on medical mercury thermometers.

What states ban mercury thermometers?

As a result, a number of states have banned or limited the sale of mercury thermometers, including California, Oregon, Rhode Island, Maine, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, and New Hampshire. Some local units of government across the country have issued bans as well, including Ann Arbor.

Does Mercury evaporate at room temperature?

YES any and all materials can evaporate at any temperature. Yes. It does but your exposure is a function of the amount of mercury, the exposure time, and the temperature (which is room temperature in this case).

What happens when you are exposed to elemental mercury?

At room temperature, exposed elemental mercury can evaporate to become an invisible, odorless toxic vapor. If heated, it is a colorless, odorless gas. Learn about how people are most often exposed to elemental mercury and about the adverse health effects that exposures to elemental mercury can produce.

Is Mercury a solid liquid or gas when heated?

, Enthusiastic of the Chemical Arts. Mercury melts at-37.89°F (room temperature). Below that temperature, the metal becomes a solid. Beyond that melting point, mercury transitions from a solid to a liquid again (melts). Heat it more (to 674.1°F) and it becomes a gas.

What happens if you breathe in mercury vapor?

A less common way people are exposed to mercury is breathing mercury vapor. This can happen when mercury is released from a container, or from a product or device that breaks. If the mercury is not immediately contained or cleaned up, it can evaporate, becoming an invisible, odorless, toxic vapor.