Question

Hydrargyrum is the latin name of:

Answer 1

The meaning of the name ‘Hydrargyrum’ is ‘liquid silver’ which is used to reflect its shiny surface. It clearly means that the compound is liquid in state and shiny appearance. Metals have shiny appearances. So, the compound is liquid and metallic in nature. Other name of Hydrargyrum is quicksilver.

Complete step by step answer:
Hydrargyrum is a latin and Greek name for element mercury. The symbol of mercury is $\text{Hg}$. The atomic number of mercury is 80 and atomic mass is 200.59 grams. It belongs to group 12 and period 6. It is a d-block element. The electronic configuration of mercury is $\left[ \text{Xe} \right]4{{\text{f}}^{14}}\text{5}{{\text{d}}^{10}}\text{6}{{\text{s}}^{2}}$. It has a noble gas configuration.
Let us discuss the chemical and physical properties of Hydrargyrum:

S. No.	Name of property (chemical & physical)	How Hydrargyrum follow these properties
1.	Physical appearance	A heavy, silvery-white metal. The only metal (mercury) which is liquid at room temperature.
2.	Conduction	It is a poor conductor of heat. It is a fair conductor of electricity.
3.	Reactions with acids	It does not react with dilute acids. But react with oxidising acids like nitric acid and sulphuric acids to give nitrates and other ions.
4.	Isotopes	There are many isotopes of mercury, which are $^{196}\text{Hg}$, $^{198}\text{Hg}$, $^{199}\text{Hg}$, $^{204}\text{Hg}$, etc.
5.	Oxidation states	The most common oxidation states of mercury are 1 and 2. It exists as $\text{H}{{\text{g}}^{+1}}$ and $\text{H}{{\text{g}}^{+2}}$.

Hydrargyrum is the latin name of mercury.

Additional Information:
Uses of mercury:
(1) Mercury forms alloys with other metals such as gold, silver and tin, which are known as amalgams. With alloys with gold, amalgams are useful in recovering gold from its ores. Mercury amalgams are also used in dental fillings.
(2) It is used in electrical switches and rectifiers. In chemical industries, it is used as catalysts.
(3) This element is used in manometers, barometers and thermometers.

Note: Mercury is one of the soft metals. Thus, it forms very stable compounds with heavier chalcogens or group 16. One of the compounds is $\text{HgS}$, mercury sulphide with oxidation state $\left( \text{II} \right)$. The ore in which $\text{HgS}$ is found in cinnabar.