mercury arcana
TRANSCRIPT
MercuryArcana
10 Obscure, Forgotten, and Bizarre Uses of Element Number 80
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The Unique Properties ofMercury
High Density Liquid atRoom Temperature
Conducts Electricity
Forms Amalgams Reflective Surface
Can you identify the properties employed in each of the following uses of mercury?
ChemicalProperties
MercuryFountain
Designed by Alexander Calder for the 1937World Exhibition in Paris, the workmemorializes Franco's siege of the mercurymines of Almaden, Spain. It is now displayedat the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona.
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LiquidMirrorTelescope
A thin layer of mercury forms a concave,reflective surface on a spinning disc, creatinga large, precise mirror that is cheaper thanglass. This mirror is for the Large ZenithTelescope in British Columbia, Canada.
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TennisElbowShockAbsorber
According to the manufacturer, mercurysealed inside the module "produces acounterwave action that effectivelyneutralizes vibrations whenever your armreceives a shock."
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Separationof LithiumIsotopes
Lithium6 forms an amalgam with mercurymore readily than other isotopes. The Colexprocess exploited this to produce lithium6 foruse in hydrogen bombs. As much as 1000 tonsof mercury were lost to the environment atthe Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
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Laxative
Despite it's toxicity, the mercury compoundcalomel was once used as a laxative. Americanexplorers Lewis and Clark took calomel pillsnicknamed "thunderclappers" on theirexpedition. Today their campsites can still beidentified from high mercury levels in the soils.
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PrimaryExplosive
Mercury fulminate was used as an explosivein detonators and primers until the mid20thcentury. In the TV series Breaking Bad, WalterWhite prepares mercury fulminate and uses itto blow up the office of a rival drug dealer.
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WorkingFluid forPowerGeneration
Because of its thermal and materialproperties, mercury was investigated as aworking fluid in power plants. Several pilotplants were built, but advances in steamonlydesigns as well as engineering and safetychallenges soon made them obsolete.
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Popular Science, March 1931
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FlotationBearing forTurntable
For years, mercury was used as a bearing forheavy lighthouse lenses, allowing them torotate while floating on the liquid metal. In1986 ingenious audiophile Jacques Marteauused the same principle for this turntable witha beltdriven platter that floats on mercury.
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www.bonavolta.ch
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SpallationNeutronSouce
This vessel contains 20 tons of liquid mercury.When bombarded with a highenergy protonbeam, neutrons spall from the mercury andare then used in in research experimentsin physics, chemistry, materials science, andbiology.
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Oak Ridge National Lab
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FirearmRecoilReducer
A cylinder containing mercury mounted in thestock of a rifle or shotgun can reduce recoil.When the stock is pushed back after firing,the liquid mercury moves in the oppositedirection, helping to dampen the impact onthe shoulder.
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Mercury is a toxicsubstance and aglobal pollutant
For more information on global efforts toreduce mercury pollution, visit the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership
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