Where do we get mercury from?

[Theranged]

And what form is it when we obtain it?

[squarebear]

It's froma rock called cinnabar

[Theranged]

Thanks squarebear I just found this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnabar

I can Imagine that many people got seriously ill inhaling toxic mercury fumes as the cinnabar was roasted to extract the mercury.

[jake-the-peg]

Actually it's quite amazing stuff.

Heat it up you get mercury metal heat it further you get mercury oxide - it was the source of the first proof of Oxygen's existance, Mercury metal was the first source of a vacuum.

You can drop a cannon ball in it and it will bob up and down like a rubber ball in water

There are some mines still working in Spain but also in the America - there were some appalling practices like natives being forced to mine it by lighting fires underground - life expectancy was unbelievably short

[jake-the-peg]

Cannon ball in mercury:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5D47nG9k4

[Theranged]

Wow thanks jake. What a crazy amount of Mercury. Does mercury evaporate?

[jno]

Charles II was a keen scientist; it's believed he died of mercury poisoning after inhaling fumes during experiments.

[jake-the-peg]

To a certain extent - that was from an OU program - I remember seeing the whole thing - the room was very well ventillated.

Remember too that Mercury is a quid or two a gram - that's a lot of money he's playing with there!

And very heavy too

[AB Editor]

'tis a wonderful thing!

Spare Ed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm5D47nG9k4

[McMouse]

I was told you get mercury from old thermometers.

[Vagrant]

Flamborough Lighthouse has a lamp assembly that must weigh a couple of tons - it is rotated by a small electric motor - it floats in a doughnut shaped bath of Mercury.

[theprof]

Jake, I'm afraid you're off the mark about the price of mercury. It's nowhere near a quid or two per gram.
Fisher Scientific are currently selling a kilo of SpeciFied grade (moderately high purity) for £158.23.
The mercury seen in the video is redistilled. I've stood next to the tank. Re-distilled mercury is currently available from Philip Harris for about £43 for 500 grams.

[Theranged]

Prof what does a kilo look like? Im guessing half a pint or so?

[Buenchico]

Mercury is a lot denser than that, Theranged!

You only need about 74ml for 1kg. So a pint of mercury will have a mass of about 7.7kg.

[theprof]

Theranged, the density of mercury came up in a question I got involved in recently on AB

http://www.theanswerb...e/Question917607.html

500 grams of mercury is about 37ml. So Buenchico is spot on with his figures.

[theprof]

incidentally, I can confirm that the tank of mercury shown in the video does indeed sit in a well ventilated room. The air is replaced twice per hour in the room and the room temperature is carefully controlled. The tank is kept covered when not in use and is quite a lot bigger than any impression of the size you might get from the video.

[Buenchico]

When I was a kid, I has one of these:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk...LL-1978-/120598472580
(I'm quite tempted to bid for that item. There can't be many of them around these days!)

[Theranged]

A pint 7.7kg! Thanks for the answers everyone.

[theprof]

Eddie51, I'm well aware of H&S nowadays. However, there are some facilities that do not abide by current H&S regulations due to the nature of the research undertaken.
As well as holding a Russell Group university chair and Deanship in the UK, I also work as an advisor to HM Government at various "facilities" within the UK and abroad. These facilities are effectively exempt from H&S regulations and will quite rightly remain so due to the nature of research undertaken.
In certain circumstances, filming is allowed in the facilities as they often possess facilities that are outside those normal encountered in conventional research establishments. The tank in the video is located in one such facility and it was still in place when I visited my staff six weeks ago.
I do know what you mean about the careless attitude we had towards mercury in the sixties and seventies though. The first time I actually held elemental mercury in my hand was when a school friend sold me a half test-tube of the stuff for two bob! I've still got the test-tube at home now complete with its cork stopper. I also remember the time when labs were awash with benzene which was used as the universal solvent! If only we knew!. As you say THF is seriously nasty stuff but often ignorance was at the root of accidents.
I well remember the time I watched a lab technician pour used green coloured ethanol from a chlorophyll extraction experiment into a butler sink and watched him attempt to flush it down with hot water from a wall mounted gas geyser. There was an almighty flash and he turned to me crying with his hair and eyebrows seriously singed. Those were the days!

[boxtops]

I remember those, Chris - much more fun that a ball-bearing maze, as the mercury is wobbly in the channels. If you win, can I borrow it?!
(I was just smiling to myself at the eBay listing, he has 9 pics on there, 12p for 8 = 96p listing charge - he'll make 3p if he sells for 99p!)