# Why is mercury liquid? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862 "2009-03-01T08:19:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/1 "2009-03-01T08:19:23Z")
I understand bromine - it’s between the solid and the gasses, but mercury is in the middle of the solids. I guess another question is why are there not more elements that are liquid at room temperature (maybe germanium counts. isn’t that the element that can melt in your hand?) ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/2 "2009-03-01T09:14:12Z")
Does this help? [http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/periodic/faq/why-is-mercury-liquid.shtml](http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/periodic/faq/why-is-mercury-liquid.shtml) [http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1997-05/862179191.Ch.r.html](http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1997-05/862179191.Ch.r.html) ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/3 "2009-03-01T09:18:49Z")
It’s a liquid because it has a low melting point. ---
**Author:** ![WoodenTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@WoodenTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WoodenTaco)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/4 "2009-03-01T09:51:47Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > It’s a liquid because it has a low melting point. Well, yeah. I think the question is why it has a lower melting point than any of the nearby elements. But thanks for the very helpful answer… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/5 "2009-03-01T10:06:18Z")
> [@WoodenTaco](#): > > Well, yeah. I think the question is why it has a lower melting point than any of the nearby elements. > But thanks for the very helpful answer… :rolleyes: Hey, it took me like five minutes to determine whether or not it should be ‘very low melting point’ or ‘very high melting point.’ :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/6 "2009-03-01T10:16:22Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Hey, it took me like five minutes to determine whether or not it should be ‘very low melting point’ or ‘very high melting point.’ :smack: Then, with all due respect, you are probably not the best person to be answering this question. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/7 "2009-03-01T10:21:49Z")
> [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](#): > > Then, with all due respect, you are probably not the best person to be answering this question. It could have something to do with the pecocet and 28-odd hours I’ve been awake with excruciating hand pain… coupled with just a little bit of humor. I was always under the impression that it was a liquid… I don’t know, I never really thought about it [in relation to its placement on the periodic table of elements], but it’s certainly a good question, and I am interested to find the answer. Oh, and don’t worry – no respect is due to me. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/8 "2009-03-01T10:29:25Z")
[http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1997-05/862179191.Ch.r.html](http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1997-05/862179191.Ch.r.html) ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/9 "2009-03-01T10:43:43Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > It could have something to do with the pecocet and 28-odd hours I’ve been awake with excruciating hand pain… coupled with just a little bit of humor. Fair enough, I hope you feel better soon. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/10 "2009-03-01T11:09:29Z")
One of these days I will check whether someone else has posted the same link already. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mercury-liquid/487862/11 "2009-03-01T15:18:32Z")
Wow! Thank you **Dervorin** and **Art Rock** for the links. I would not have thought that relativity would come into play. It is amazing how understanding has advanced over the years. I certainly didn’t learn about this in A-level Chemistry class thirty years ago.