Does mercury occur in nature, and if so, where?

author

Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world and it is harmless in an insoluble form, such as mercuric sulfide, but it is poisonous in soluble forms such as mercuric chloride or methylmercury. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28element%29 Apr 28 08, 2:03 PM

author

Mercury is not usually found free in nature and is primarily obtained from the mineral cinnabar (HgS). Spain and Italy produce about half of the world's supply of Mercury. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele080.html Apr 28 08, 2:06 PM

author

Cinnabar is generally found in a massive, granular or earthy form and is bright scarlet to brick-red in color. It occasionally occurs, however, in crystals with a non-metallic adamantine luster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnabar Apr 28 08, 2:07 PM

author

Mercury sulfide, mercuric sulfide, or mercury(II) sulfide is a chemical compound composed of the chemical elements mercury and sulfur. It is represented by the chemical formula HgS. It is virtually insoluble in water. HgS is dimorphic with two crystal forms: * red cinnabar (α-HgS), is the form in which mercury is most commonly found in nature. * black, metacinnabar (β-HgS), is less common in nature and adopts the wurtzite crystal structure. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercuric_sulfide Apr 28 08, 2:10 PM

Baloo55th

It's the nearest planet to the Sun. http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/solar_system_level2/mercury.html That's until they discover a nearer one that's been hiding on the other side.... Apr 28 08, 2:30 PM

star_gazer

So quick silver can be found while innocently hiking on some trail? Apr 28 08, 2:34 PM

Baloo55th

Not really. Not in the liquid form, anyway. Cinnabar possibly if you're in the right place. Very few metals are found in elemental form - gold, silver and copper being exceptions, and copper is mostly foound in compound form. This is because they tend to be somewhat reactive when faced with oxygen, sulphur and acids. Quicksilver is the liquid form of elemental mercury, and the name means 'live' silver because it's as shiny as (polished) silver but won't stay in one place if it can help it. Warning: mercury is not a toy. When Baloo was but a cub it could be, but now the poisonous aspect is emphasised. The liquid won't harm you unless you drink it, but there is an amount of vapour present which is best avoided. Dental use in amalgam is safe, but decreasing with the increasing use of white fillings. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_%28element%29#Safety The Chinese emperor who created a lake of it to surround his throne was not aware of these dangers. He probably didn't last very long - if the vapour didn't get him, the people paying the taxes to hin would... Apr 28 08, 3:04 PM