Mercury is a liquid metal that smelts at - 38.9°C and boils at 356.6°C.
It alloys (amalgams) with many metals, such as gold, silver and tin. Forming a mercury - gold alloy is used for the extraction of gold from ores.
Until the end of the 20th century, mercury was widely used in thermometers and barometers. Because of its toxicity, it is increasingly obsolete.
Mercury occurs in the mineral cinnabar, corderoite and livingstonite.
Spilled mercury can be picked up with two spoons or a pipette.