h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Chemistry of the Group 12 Elements - Zn, Cd, Hg - A25072166
Author: Big Al - Member, Wessex Researchers Group, Keeper of Mnemonics, Patron Saint of Left Handers - U723247

The only reason for updating this is to get the data in the box (on Atomic Weights and Atomic Numbers) the right way around w.r.t. current IUPAC recommendations. This will also match the Entries I have written which include the same 'boxed data' format.

Hoewever, I've taken the opportunity to also include more info on the uses of mercury and to include more links.
I've given a 'CREDIT' to Flying Twinkle as I pinched some info from his/her unedited Entry on 'Terracotta Warriors'.

Hi Al

Thats as far over my head as a loong haul flight to the USA.
But it looks good and reads well and I can understand all of it.

Good work

Bob...

<cheers Bob

Seems like a fairly straightforward Update to me, but I'm not a chemist

Your credit to Flying Twinkle has her U number, but your name on it!

The information in the boxes seems to be different from the other entries, as well as being in a different order. It now includes the name of a "noble" gas in square brackets. What's that about?

Do you want me to change all the other entries which have boxes to "mass first, atomic number later" format?

'Your credit to Flying Twinkle has her U number, but your name on it!'

Oops. Must've had an 'off day'.

Please could you correct that.

'The information in the boxes seems to be different from the other entries, as well as being in a different order. '

Yes, we've spoken about that before. Since Iridium wrote his Entries the IUPAC convention changed to having the Mass Number at top left of the element symbol, and the atomic number at bottom left.

When I started to write mine, I agonised over whether to use the convention that Iridium did, or to use the up-to-date nomenclature. I decided on the latter.




'It now includes the name of a "noble" gas in square brackets. What's that about?'

Again, when Iridium wrote his, he seemed to show only the outer shell electrons, presumably for brevity. When you edited one of my previous Entries you picked up on this, so I changed it to show the inner shell electrons as well.

It is acceptable practice to represent the inner shells by the use of the appropriate 'inert gas' symbol written in quare brackets. So, for example, beryllium would be [He]2s2



'Do you want me to change all the other entries which have boxes to "mass first, atomic number later" format?'

Well, ideally, yes. But I realise that it's a bit of an imposition

You can correct the Credit yourself.

Are you happy with the format of the Periodic Table boxes on this entry, so that I know what to model the other ones on?

Yes, I am happy with that format

...and I've corrected the Credit

This conversation will be continued here:

F48874?thread=4789790

in accordance with new Updating Process.

Is this ready to be updated? It's been sitting idle for quite some time.