Where Is Mercury Found On The Periodic Table?

By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on January 13, 2020

Where Is Mercury Found On The Periodic Table?

Mercury's location on the periodic table of the elements.
Mercury's location in the periodic table of the elements. Todd Helmenstine

Mercury is the 80th element on the periodic table. It is located in period 6 and group 12.
 

Properties Based on Position

Even if you didn't know anything at all about mercury, you could predict its properties based on its position on the periodic table. It's in the transition metal group, so you'd expect it to be a shiny silver metal. You'd expect its most common oxidation state to be +2. What you may not be able to tell from the periodic table is that mercury is a liquid at room temperature.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Where Is Mercury Found On The Periodic Table?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 25, 2020, thoughtco.com/where-is-mercury-on-periodic-table-608435. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 25). Where Is Mercury Found On The Periodic Table? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/where-is-mercury-on-periodic-table-608435 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Where Is Mercury Found On The Periodic Table?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/where-is-mercury-on-periodic-table-608435 (accessed March 21, 2023).