Element Mercury

As anyone who has ever broken a thermometer can agree, Mercury is a very interesting substance. Named after the second planet of our solar system, Mercury has been used in thermometers, barometers, electrical devices, etc. Mercury is rarely found out in the open, but an unknown discoverer obtained Mercury from cinnabar ore in Egypt in about 1500 BC. Mercury is member of the transition metals, and is a poor conductor of heat, but a fair conductor of electricity.
Mercury is very dangerous. In fact, it's toxic. Mercury vapor creates bright colorful lights, but prolonged exposure to it can…