Discussion » Statements » Rosie's Corner » Would QUICKSILVER (Mercury) be of greater or lesser value if it were slower?
RosieG

Would QUICKSILVER (Mercury) be of greater or lesser value if it were slower?

Hg Hydrargynum in Greek which means liquid silver...being shiny is where the "silver" comes in

So where is it used? In pressure-measuring devices among other things. Of what particular value is it? It has a high density which requires less space

It is a good conductor of electricity. A useful component of electrical switches.

It is also used in dental filings (isn't it poisonous?), paints, soaps, batteries and fluorescent lights.

Mercury is the fastest planet in our solar system. The slowest? So if quicksilver were slow silver would it be of as much value? What does speed have to do with efficacy in this case?

Posted - August 26, 2021
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Responses


  • 3719
    Thermometers, too.

    I'd be surprised if any dentists still use mercury amalgam as mercury is poisonous. Perhaps the tiny amount used is not sufficient to pose a real risk and anyway is locked up in the filling compound; but though it might be hazardous for the patient it's not something that dentists want to be exposed to regularly.

    I think the word 'quick' here uses its old, other meaning, of 'alive' - as in the old religious phrase, "the quick and the dead".
      August 26, 2021 4:26 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    AHA! I did not think of that but it makes a great deal of sense. Thank you for bringing that up Durdle. I appreciate it! Do you think there are any "elements" yet to be discovered? What elements would you like there to be in fantasy? I guess each has a purpose and is useful. Are there any that are useless?  Happy Friday to thee and thine! :)
      August 27, 2021 3:38 AM MDT
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