The element mercury was named for Mercury, who, in Roman mythology, was the swift messenger of the gods. Anyone who has ever tried to pick up some spilled mercury will agree that the name is a good one.
Mercury is the only common metal that is a liquid at ordinary temperatures. When spilled it forms small balls which roll around so easily that they are hard to gather up. For this reason and because it has a shiny, gray color like solver, mercury is also called quicksilver.
The chemical symbol for mercury, strangely enough, is Hg. The symbol was made from the Latin name for this metal — hydrargyrum — meaning watery silver.
Mercury is used in many barometers for measuring air pressure. It is also used in many thermometers. Since it freezes at about 40 degrees below zero, however, it cannot be used in the Arctic or Antarctic where temperatures are often much lower. Some mercury is found free in nature. Most of it, however, is found combined with sulfur. The compound is called cinnabar.
