Question

Why is liquid mercury a good electrical conductor in terms of atomic structure?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

On the periodic table, Mercury belongs to group 12 and period eight(8). It has the Atomic number of eighty(80).

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MERCURY:

Mercury is a d-block element and it is a liquid at standard pressure and temperature. It is silvery and heavy. It has boiling point of 629.88 K, Heat of fusion of 2.29 kJ/mol,molar heat capacity of 27.98

J/mol/K.

STRUCTURE:

Mercury is closed pack. The packing of Mercury makes it to conduct electricity better than alkaline earth metals. Mercury has a Rhombohedral crystal structure.

CONCLUSION:

Mercury has a structure which is efficiently packed and this allow its electrons to move freely. The free electrons can easily move to the conduction band.

Answer 2

Mercury is a heavy, silvery-white liquid metal. Compared to other metals, it is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity. ... Because this configuration strongly resists removal of an electron, mercury behaves similarly to noble gases, which form weak bonds and hence melt at low temperatures.