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Brush up on your chemistry and learn the liquids and gasses on the periodic table
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Most of the elements on the periodic table are solids, but could you pick out which ones are different from the rest? While the only 2 elements that are liquids at standard room temperature are mercury (Hg) and bromine (Br), there are a few others that melt when it’s slightly warmer. There are even more elements that exist as gasses instead. If you want to find out more about all of the liquid or gaseous elements and their properties, just keep reading.
Things You Should Know
- Mercury and bromine are the 2 elements that are liquid at room temperature, which is around 77 °F (25 °C).
- Francium, cesium, gallium, and rubidium melt into liquids just above room temperature.
- 11 elements are gaseous at room temp, including hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, neon, chlorine, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
Liquids at Room Temperature
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Mercury (Hg, atomic number 80) This metallic silver metal has a melting point of just −38 °F (−39 °C), so it’ll be a liquid at standard room temperature, which is around 77 °F (25 °C). [1] X Research source Mercury is naturally-occurring, and it was once used inside thermometers, dental fillings, and batteries. However, inhaling the vapors mercury produces can cause lung damage and kidney problems, so it’s toxic if you’re exposed to high levels. [2] X Trustworthy Source United States Environmental Protection Agency Independent U.S. government agency responsible for promoting safe environmental practices Go to source
- After cleaning up a mercury spill, contact a doctor if you start having tremors, headaches, difficulty breathing, or muscle weakness. [3] X Research source
- Seafood can contain trace amounts of mercury. Stick to shrimp, scallops, tilapia, and salmon since they have lower levels of mercury. [4] X Trustworthy Source US Food and Drug Administration U.S. government agency responsible for promoting public health Go to source
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Bromine (Br, atomic number 35) Bromine melts into a deep-red, oily liquid with a bleach-like odor when it reaches 19 °F (−7 °C). [5] X Research source Bromine is usually used in flame retardants and agricultural pesticides, but exposure to the pure element or the fumes it produces is toxic. [6] X Research source
- Exposure to bromine could cause eye and throat irritation, and cause painful sores on your skin.
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Section 2 of 4:
Liquids Near Room Temperature
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Francium (Fr, atomic number 87) While francium is a solid metal at room temperature, it melts into a liquid when it reaches 81 °F (27 °C). Francium is an alkali metal, so it’s highly reactive and doesn’t exist in its pure form often on Earth. Since it’s a rarer element, scientists primarily study francium and don't use it outside of a lab setting. [7] X Research source
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Cesium (Cs, atomic number 55) Cesium is a silvery white metal, and it melts into a liquid at 83.5 °F (28.6 °C). [8] X Research source Cesium has the largest atoms of any element and the highest density compared to other alkali metals. When it’s exposed to air, cesium ignites into a reddish-violet flame. [9] X Research source
- Pure cesium also reacts violently with water.
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Gallium (Ga, atomic number 31) Gallium is a soft gray metal that melts when it reaches 86.3 °F (30.2 °C). Just holding gallium in your hand will warm it up enough to turn it into a liquid. Gallium isn’t toxic, but handling it still may cause some skin irritation. [10] X Research source
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Rubidium (Rb, atomic number 37) Rubidium is a silvery-white metallic element that melts when it reaches 102.7 °F (39.3 °C). Rubidium is normally used in lab settings since it can spontaneously ignite when it’s exposed to air or water. [11] X Research source
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Tips
- The man-made elements copernicium and flerovium are predicted to be liquids, but there aren’t enough atoms that exist to know for sure. [14] X Research sourceThanks
- Check your periodic table to see if it marks the elements that are liquids and gaseous in different colors. That way, you can easily tell them apart.Thanks
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Warnings
- Many of the elements that are liquids are toxic or radioactive if you’re exposed to them. Avoid handling them unless you’re in a safe lab setting. [15] X Research sourceThanks
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References
- ↑ https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Mercury#section=Melting-Point
- ↑ https://www.epa.gov/mercury/basic-information-about-mercury
- ↑ https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/mercury-exposure-and-poisoning#where-to-get-help
- ↑ https://www.fda.gov/food/metals-and-your-food/mercury-levels-commercial-fish-and-shellfish-1990-2012
- ↑ https://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/bromine/basics/facts.asp
- ↑ https://www.rsc.org/periodic-table/element/35/bromine
- ↑ https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Francium#section=Element-Period-Number
- ↑ https://pubsapp.acs.org/cen/80th/cesium.html ?
- ↑ https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ToxProfiles/tp157-c4.pdf
- ↑ https://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/periodic/faq/liquid-elements.shtml
- ↑ https://periodic.lanl.gov/37.shtml
- ↑ https://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/why-is-mercury-liquid-at-room-temperature/
- ↑ https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Howard_University/General_Chemistry%3A_An_Atoms_First_Approach/Unit_4%3A__Thermochemistry/Chapter_10%3A_Gases/Chapter_10.1%3A_Gaseous_Elements_and_Compounds
- ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Gibbs-free-energies-of-the-solid-green-liquid-blue-and-gas-phases-orange-of-Cn_fig2_336389017
- ↑ https://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/periodic/faq/liquid-elements.shtml
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