There was a time not so long ago when it was common for chemistry teachers to show off pools of mercury in their bare hands.
By the time I first took chemistry classes, though, that practice had stopped, less out of concern of exposure to liquid mercury and more for accidental exposure to gaseous forms due to spills.
When I was in highschool in the 1960s mercury in the chemistry lab was commonplace.
One way to familiarize students with mercury was to have several liters of it in a wide open-top jar and have them force their fist through the mercury pool to the bottom of the jar.
In fact, forcing one's hand through mercury between six to eight inches deep is not easy, some kids found it too difficult to do.
I'd describe my hand as feeling very squeezed and it being forced upwards to the surface with considerable force. The experience was certainly unforgettable.
There were some safety protocols: good ventilation (to minimize Hg vapor) and afterwards hands had to be thoroughly scrubbed with soap and water.
Comments
There was a time not so long ago when it was common for chemistry teachers to show off pools of mercury in their bare hands.
By the time I first took chemistry classes, though, that practice had stopped, less out of concern of exposure to liquid mercury and more for accidental exposure to gaseous forms due to spills.
When I was in highschool in the 1960s mercury in the chemistry lab was commonplace.
One way to familiarize students with mercury was to have several liters of it in a wide open-top jar and have them force their fist through the mercury pool to the bottom of the jar.
In fact, forcing one's hand through mercury between six to eight inches deep is not easy, some kids found it too difficult to do.
I'd describe my hand as feeling very squeezed and it being forced upwards to the surface with considerable force. The experience was certainly unforgettable.
There were some safety protocols: good ventilation (to minimize Hg vapor) and afterwards hands had to be thoroughly scrubbed with soap and water.