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Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: tashkent on November 21, 2004, 07:20:39 AM

Title: is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: tashkent on November 21, 2004, 07:20:39 AM

Greetings everyone!

I have another query which I encountered in the recent GRE Chemistry exam.  I would like to ask if mercury is the most unstable metal at room temperature?  I just though that since its the only liquid metal, it is the most unstable one.  But my friend told me that I should have chosen alkali metals, since they are the most reactive.

Hope you guys can clear this up.  Thanks so much.

Regards,
Tashkent

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: Donaldson Tan on November 21, 2004, 08:43:58 AM

i would think Francium is the most unstable metal. Look at its position in the periodic table..

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: Mitch on November 21, 2004, 02:45:20 PM

Stability and reactivity are not neccessarily related and thus is a reason why I hate the word "stable".

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: jdurg on November 22, 2004, 09:17:01 AM

To me, "stable" means 'not likely to fall apart'.  Therefore, it would have to be a radioactive metal.  Take a look at the newly discovered elements.  Those exist for only mere fractions of a second, so I would consider those the most "unstable" metals on the periodic table.

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: Donaldson Tan on November 29, 2004, 08:03:33 PM

i guess all this points out to something, that we all don't have a common definition for stability.

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: Winga on November 29, 2004, 08:54:26 PM

I think mercury is very stable in its atom (full-filled orbitals). Each atom doesn't like to form bond to each other but atomize (slightly like noble gas), so that, mercury appears in liquid form in room temperature.

The most unstable metal should be one of the elements in period 7 call unun???ium, is it?

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: Mitch on November 29, 2004, 09:39:00 PM

It depends how we define stability.

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: ssssss on November 30, 2004, 04:30:50 AM

Quote from: Winga on November 29, 2004, 08:54:26 PM

I think mercury is very stable in its atom (full-filled orbitals). Each atom doesn't like to form bond to each other but atomize (slightly like noble gas), so that, mercury appears in liquid form in room temperature.

The most unstable metal should be one of the elements in period 7 call unun???ium, is it?

In one way mercury is most stable.Every high order radioactive decay ends up with the mercury.

Any yes your point is correct Jdurg,stability is in general reffered with self decay or radioactivity in other words in terms of the Nucleus.

Fe is the most stable element.

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: movies on November 30, 2004, 12:30:53 PM

Ssssss, I believe that you are thinking of lead, not mercury.

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: pizza1512 on February 03, 2005, 08:54:52 AM

No..


 :red_bandana:

Title: Re:is mercury the most unstable metal?
Post by: 2810713 on February 04, 2005, 09:09:41 PM

I don't know any radioactive decay series ending up in
 Hg. Is there any example?

hrushikesh