80Hg200.592

Mercury

Transition metalsBlock dPeriod 6Group 12liquid at 20 °C
Configuration :
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s²
Atomic mass :
200.592 u
French :
Mercure
Latin :
Hydrargyrum
3D Bohr-model representation of the Mercury atom (symbol Hg, atomic number Z=80). Electron shell configuration: 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2 electrons.
Scroll to activate 3D
Bohr model · educational

Bohr model of mercury

Bohr model of mercury (Hg): 80 electrons in 6 shells — 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2

Mercury (Hg) has 80 electrons, spread over 6 shells. The diagram places them on circles around the nucleus, from the K shell — the closest — outward.

ShellElectrons
K (n = 1)2
L (n = 2)8
M (n = 3)18
N (n = 4)32
O (n = 5)18
P (n = 6)2

The Bohr model is a teaching picture: electrons do not travel in circular orbits, but the number of electrons per shell is exact.

Electron configuration

Full1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ 4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 5s² 5p⁶ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s²
Short[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s²
Valence electrons12
KLMNOPQ shells
K2
L8
M18
N32
O18
P2

Electronegativity

Pauling2
Allen—
Mulliken (eV)—

Atomic radii

Empirical150 pm
Calculated171 pm
Covalent132 pm
Van der Waals155 pm
Ionic radii (Shannon-Prewitt)
+2102 pm

Successive ionisation energies

I₁1007.1 kJ/mol
I₂1810 kJ/mol
I₃3300 kJ/mol
Electron affinity—

Oxidation states

-2+1+2
Bold states = most common.
Warm-up

Mercury — do you remember?

3 questions on this page. The right answer shows every time, and nothing is asked of you to play.

No account · one minute

Period 6Block dIUPAC Group 12Family Transition metals
Sources : NIST Atomic Weights & Isotopic Compositions, IUPAC Recommendations, CODATA. Methodology