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⚗️ What is Mercury?

Mercury is a metal, but it is liquid at room temperature.

👉 Most metals are solid (like iron or gold),
but mercury looks like a shiny silver liquid.

Because of this, mercury is also called:

Liquid metal

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🔬 Why is mercury liquid?

• Mercury atoms do not stick together tightly
• So it doesn’t freeze like other metals
• It stays liquid unless it gets very cold

🧊 Mercury freezes at –39°C

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🌡️ Where was mercury used?

In the past, mercury was used in:

• Thermometers
• Barometers
• Old medical tools
• Some switches and lamps

👉 Today, it is used less because it can be dangerous.

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⚠️ Is mercury safe?

🚫 No, mercury is toxic (poisonous).

• Breathing mercury vapors can be harmful
• Touching or swallowing it is dangerous

❗ That’s why:

• Broken thermometers should be handled by adults
• Mercury is replaced with safer materials now

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🌍 Where does mercury come from?

• Mercury is found naturally in rocks
• It is taken from a mineral called cinnabar
• Volcanoes can also release mercury into the air

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🌟 Fun facts for kids

• Mercury’s chemical symbol is Hg
• Hg comes from a Roman god named Mercury
• Mercury is very heavy (denser than water)
• It forms round droplets when spilled

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🧠 Easy way to remember

Mercury = metal that is liquid
Shiny, heavy, and dangerous
Used carefully by adults

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