Which metal is liquid at room temperature?

Which metal is liquid at room temperature?

• A. Mercury is liquid at room temperature.
• B. All metals are solids at room temperature.
• C. All metals have high melting points.
• D. Mercury forms cubic crystals.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is how melting point determines a substance’s state at a given temperature. Mercury has a melting point of about -38.8°C, which is far below typical room temperatures. That means, under ordinary conditions, mercury exists as a liquid because it’s already melted long before you reach room temperature. The other statements mischaracterize metals in general: not all metals stay solid at room temperature (mercury is the notable exception), and many metals do not have high melting points (mercury itself has a very low melting point). The note about cubic crystals isn’t relevant to why mercury is liquid at room temperature and isn’t what defines its state here.

The key idea here is how melting point determines a substance’s state at a given temperature. Mercury has a melting point of about -38.8°C, which is far below typical room temperatures. That means, under ordinary conditions, mercury exists as a liquid because it’s already melted long before you reach room temperature. The other statements mischaracterize metals in general: not all metals stay solid at room temperature (mercury is the notable exception), and many metals do not have high melting points (mercury itself has a very low melting point). The note about cubic crystals isn’t relevant to why mercury is liquid at room temperature and isn’t what defines its state here.