Mercury has a density of 13.6 g/mL. If I want to gather 175 g of the metal, what volume of mercury would I need?

1 Answer
anor277
Sep 29, 2016

Approx. #13*mL# of metal. Be careful with it!

Explanation:

By definition, #rho,"density"# #=# #"Mass of stuff"/"Volume of stuff"#.

We want to find a volume, so:

#"Volume"# #=# #"Mass"/rho# #=# #(175*cancelg)/(13.6*cancelg*mL^-1)#.

Note that this calculation is dimensionally consistent. We want a volume, and #1/(mL^-1)# #=# #mL#.

Mercury metal is seldom seen in A level or undergraduate laboratories anymore. It is fairly poisonous, but still absolutely fascinating. You can float metal coins on it! Of course, if you have a spill, it is big clean up job becasue the metal occupies every nook and crack.

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