Element 80 · Mercury (Hg)

Mercury Bohr model: diagram and electrons per shell

The mercury Bohr model shows a mercury atom (Hg) as a small nucleus with its electrons circling it in 6 shells: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P. This page has a rotating 3D mercury Bohr model, a flat diagram, a table of the electrons in each shell and the steps to draw it yourself.

Rotate the mercury Bohr model in 3D

Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.

This is a Bohr model of mercury (Hg), a simplified picture of a single mercury atom. Its nucleus holds 80 protons, and a neutral mercury atom has 80 electrons, arranged around it in 6 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P).

Hg K · 21s² L · 82s² 2p⁶ M · 183s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ N · 324s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴ O · 185s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰ P · 26s²

Mercury Bohr model diagram

Bohr model diagram of mercury: a nucleus of 80 protons with 80 electrons on 6 shells, 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P, each ring labelled with its shell letter. — The mercury Bohr model drawn flat: each ring is a shell, labelled with its letter, and every dot is an electron (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P).

Mercury electrons per shell

A neutral mercury atom has 80 electrons, one for each of its 80 protons. They fill the shells from the nucleus outwards: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P.

Electrons in each shell of the mercury Bohr model
Shell	Shell number (n)	Electrons	Most it can hold (2n²)	Subshells
K	1	2	2	1s²
L	2	8	8	2s² 2p⁶
M	3	18	18	3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰
N	4	32	32	4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ 4f¹⁴
O	5	18	50	5s² 5p⁶ 5d¹⁰
P	6	2	72	6s²

How the mercury Bohr model builds up, shell by shell

Watch the mercury Bohr model come together: the nucleus first, then each shell in turn, from the innermost outwards, with its electrons joining the ring. The legend names every shell and counts its electrons, so you can read off the arrangement (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P) as it forms.

Animation of the mercury Bohr model being built: a nucleus of 80 protons appears first, then each shell grows in around it and takes its electrons, giving 80 electrons on 6 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P). — The mercury Bohr model built up in six seconds: the nucleus first, then each shell with its electrons, ending with 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P. Protons are red, neutrons yellow and electrons blue.

How to draw the mercury Bohr model

Find the atomic number. Mercury has atomic number 80, so a neutral atom has 80 protons and 80 electrons.
Draw the nucleus. Put a circle in the centre and write Hg in it. The 80 protons sit there with the neutrons.
Draw the shells. Sketch 6 shells as rings around the nucleus. A shell holds at most 2n² electrons: 2 in the first, 8 in the second, 18 in the third and 32 in the fourth.
Place the electrons. Fill from the inside out: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 32 in shell N, 18 in shell O and 2 in shell P.
Check the total. 2 + 8 + 18 + 32 + 18 + 2 = 80, the atomic number, so every electron is accounted for.

Atomic data for the mercury Bohr model

The numbers behind the mercury Bohr model, grouped by topic. Radii are in picometres (pm) and energies in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Identity

Symbol: Hg
Atomic number: 80
Atomic mass: 200.5923 u
Family: Transition Metals
Position: group 12, period 6
Block: d-block

Electron configuration

Full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d¹⁰ 5p⁶ 6s² 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰
Shorthand: [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s²
Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 2
Outer-shell electrons: 2 in shell P

Ionisation energies

I₁: 1007.1
I₂: 1810
I₃: 3300

Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). A sharp jump means the next electron comes from an inner shell.

Atomic radii

Calculated (pm): 171
Empirical (pm): 150
Covalent (pm): 133
Van der Waals (pm): 155

Electronegativity and electron affinity

Electronegativity (Pauling): 2
Electron affinity (kJ/mol): -48

Oxidation states

+1 +2

Charges the element commonly takes in compounds.

Physical properties, abundance and history of mercury

Bulk properties of mercury, how common it is, who discovered it and some of its compounds.

Physical properties

Phase at room conditions: Liquid
Appearance: Silvery
Melting point: -38.83°C (234.321 K)
Boiling point: 356.73°C (629.88 K)
Density: 13.534 g/cm³
Thermal conductivity (W/m·K): 8.3
Specific heat (J/g·K): 0.14
Molar heat capacity (J/mol·K): 27.983
Heat of fusion (kJ/mol): 2.295
Heat of vaporisation (kJ/mol): 58.5

Abundance

Earth's crust (mg/kg): 0.085
Oceans (mg/L): 0

Discovery

Year: Ancient

Common compounds

Mercury Hg
Phenylmercuric Acetate C8H8HgO2
Phenylmercuric Nitrate C6H5HgNO3
Thimerosal C9H9HgNaO2S
Mercuric Chloride Cl2Hg
Phenylmercuric Chloride C6H5ClHg
Mercuric acetate C4H6HgO4
Methylmercury chloride CH3ClHg

Compounds listed in the PubChem database.

Main isotopes of mercury

Isotopes of mercury share the same 80 protons but differ in neutrons. Natural isotopes come first, then the longest-lived others.

Main isotopes of mercury: mass number, abundance, half-life and decay
Mass number	Natural abundance	Half-life	Decay
198	10.04 %	stable	–
199	16.94 %	stable	–
200	23.14 %	stable	–
201	13.17 %	stable	–
202	29.74 %	stable	–
204	6.82 %	stable	2β⁻

α = alpha decay, β⁻ = beta-minus, β⁺ = beta-plus, EC = electron capture, SF = spontaneous fission, p / n = proton / neutron emission.

More about mercury

Mercury on the periodic table – properties, isotopes, uses and the full mercury page.
Transition Metals – all transition metal elements and their trends.
Bohr model of every element – the Bohr model of all 118 elements.