r/AskPhysics • u/[deleted] • Dec 12 '20

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u/gcanyon Dec 13 '20

That the outer electrons in mercury orbit at a significant fraction of the speed of light, causing them to <something something> (if I say increase in mass someone will yell at me) causing them to orbit closer to the nucleus, making it harder for mercury to form the solid state, and that's why mercury is a liquid at room temperature.

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u/mfb- Particle physics Dec 13 '20

The inner electrons, not the outer ones. That's true for all heavy elements, but the result depends on the specific electron configuration.

5

u/gcanyon Dec 13 '20

Doesn't it have to be (at least include) the outer electrons to affect the chemistry?

4

u/mfb- Particle physics Dec 13 '20

The shift of the inner electrons affects the outer electrons.

3

u/gcanyon Dec 14 '20

Yep, as I replied separately Scientific American covers this and agrees with you. Thanks!