What's the meaning of the Mercury (metal) »
Mercury (metal)
This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Mercury (metal).
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum (from Greek "hydr-" water and "argyros" silver).
Alchemists thought of mercury as the First Matter from which all metals were formed. They believed that different metals could be produced by varying the quality and quantity of sulfur contained within the mercury. The purest of these was gold, and mercury was called for in attempts at the transmutation of base (or impure) metals into gold, which was the goal of many alchemists.
Hg is the modern chemical symbol for mercury. It comes from hydrargyrum, a Latinized form of the Greek word Ύδραργυρος (hydrargyros), which is a compound word meaning "water-silver" (hydr- = water, argyros = silver) — since it is liquid like water and shiny like silver. The element was named after the Roman god Mercury, known for speed and mobility. It is associated with the planet Mercury; the astrological symbol for the planet is also one of the alchemical symbols for the metal; the Sanskrit word for alchemy is Rasavātam which means "the way of mercury". Mercury is the only metal for which the alchemical planetary name became the common name
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Graphical characteristics:
Asymmetric, Open shape, Monochrome, Contains both straight and curved lines, Has crossing lines.
Category: Alchemical Symbols.
Mercury (metal) is part of the Planetary Metals group.
More symbols in Planetary Metals:
Seven metals are associated with the seven classical planets, and seven deities, all figuring heavily in alchemical symbolism. Although the metals occasionally have a glyph of their own, the planet's… read more »
More symbols in Alchemical Symbols:
Alchemical symbols, originally devised as part of alchemy, were used to denote some elements and some compounds until the 18th century. Note that while notation like this was mostly standardized, sty… read more »
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"Mercury (metal)." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/symbol/mercury-%28metal%29>.
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