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Which metal is in liquid form at ordinary room temperature?
A. Iron
B. Mercury
C. Aluminium
D. Lead
Correct Answer Is Option = Mercury
Notes / Explanation
The metal that is in liquid form at ordinary room temperature is mercury, which is unusual and remarkable because almost all other metals are solid at ordinary temperatures. Metals are generally known for being hard, solid substances that must be heated to very high temperatures before they melt and become liquid, but mercury is a striking exception to this rule, being a metal that exists as a liquid under the ordinary conditions of everyday life, so that it flows and forms drops like other liquids. Mercury is a heavy, silvery liquid with a shiny, mirror-like surface, and its unusual nature as a liquid metal has made it an object of interest and use for a very long time. Because it is a liquid, and because it expands and contracts in a regular way as it is heated and cooled, mercury was for many years widely used in instruments for measuring temperature and pressure, such as thermometers and barometers, in which a column of mercury rises and falls to indicate the reading. Mercury has also been used in a number of other applications, including certain kinds of electrical devices and lighting. However, it is important to know that mercury is a poisonous substance, and it can be harmful to health if it is handled carelessly or if its vapour is breathed in, and for this reason its use has been reduced and it is handled with great care, with many of its former uses now replaced by safer alternatives. The harmful nature of mercury means that it must be treated as a hazardous substance and disposed of properly. Despite its dangers, mercury remains of interest because of its unique property as the only common metal that is liquid at room temperature, and it continues to have certain specialised uses. The unusual behaviour of mercury is often contrasted with the behaviour of ordinary metals in the study of the properties of substances. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the metal that is liquid at ordinary room temperature is mercury, that this is unusual because almost all other metals are solid, that mercury is a heavy silvery liquid that was widely used in thermometers and barometers, and that it is a poisonous substance that must be handled with great care.
