What would happen if you dropped a kilo of mercury into the bath?

[Treehorn]

Does it stay in one blob, float, sink or would it dissipate?

[MASS1961]

What's with the kilo of mercury threads? 2 weeks ago you were going to microwave it!

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1182673.html

[Prudie]

Can we guess? My guess it would sink to the bottom in lots of little hemispherical blobs.

[Treehorn]

I don't have any and to be honest wouldn't come within 4 foot of exposed mercury because it gives of invisible fumes but every once in a while i'm out doing something and wonder how would mercury fit into this equation.

I'm just interested in this amazing and curious metal and often wonder what the first guy who discovered it thought when he lifted his pickaxe in a deep mine somewhere, seen the glint, thought it was gold and the was met by the weird sight of this liquid metal oozing from the rock.

[ChuckFickens]

You'd have a kilo of mercury in your bath.

[MyBlackHen]

wouldn't it just amalgamate into a BIG blob ? Then go down the plughole if the plug wasn't in?

[SlackAlice]

Nothing said about water in the bath, so it would accumulate at the bottom then run away down the plughole.

[sandyRoe]

I'm not sure it would ooze from the rock. Isn't in called Cinnabar in ore form?

[jomifl]

It would block the U bend.

[Prudie]

Well I'm pretty sure mercury comes from an ore. It does not sit in the ground as a shiny oozing liquid.

[boxtops]

Cinnabar doesn't occur as a liquid, here's how they extract it..

Elemental mercury occurs naturally in the earth and is a liquid metal. Most mercury forms in a sulfide ore called cinnabar, but mercury is also frequently found in small amounts in other ores. A common method for separating mercury from cinnabar is to crush the ore and then heat it in a furnace in order to vaporize the mercury. This vapor is then condensed into liquid mercury form.

[DTCwordfan]

It would destroy Israel, or Iran............

[Treehorn]

Slack alice i thought that "float, sink " was obvious i meant in water unless you have a strange type of oxygen in your abode?

[jomifl]

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

[Treehorn]

Is this done inside a vacuum boxtops as this surely cannot be safe for the wokers or the envoironment?

[Sam1960]

time to call the plumber !!

[Clanad]

As an element, mercury is nearl 14 times heavier than water so it's expected that it would remain in one "blob". Additionally the removal of mercury from ores is accomplished in a furnace(580 degrees C), but must be done in the presence of oxygen. The resultant vapor is then "condensed" (ala boxtops ) after which, the metal is condensed and purified by washing with nitric acid, followed by distillation. (Source: U of WYO Engineering ).

[joeluke]

'What would happen if you dropped a kilo of mercury into the bath?'

You'd probably have trouble getting a lather with your Imperial Leather

(other soaps are available)

[Sam1960]

would still call the plumber