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☖ Forums → Discussion Forum → 5lbs of mercury
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5lbs of mercury
2008-07-01, 3:58 PM #1
So, I managed to get my hands on about 5lbs of mercury. I don't know exactly how many liquid ounces it is, as I am not willing to risk heavy metal poising by using a measuring cup.

It's inside of a glass jar, inside of a coffee can. I'll take a picture in a little while.

What should I do with it?

[To make this thread useful, post whatever unusual/cool items you may have.]
2008-07-01, 3:58 PM #2
Rub it on a homeless man.
nope.
2008-07-01, 4:42 PM #3
If it's 5 lbs then it's 90 oz and you should find some way to make cool liquid metallicy effects with it similar to those that a lava lamp produces.
一个大西瓜
2008-07-01, 4:48 PM #4
Uh, have it properly disposed because you are almost certainly not knowledgeable enough to properly handle it and are already well on your way to a Darwin award.

Nothing personal, I would do the same.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2008-07-01, 4:53 PM #5
Chug it.
2008-07-01, 5:00 PM #6
Originally posted by Emon:
Uh, have it properly disposed because you are almost certainly not knowledgeable enough to properly handle it and are already well on your way to a Darwin award.

Nothing personal, I would do the same.


Mercury is bad, but it's not THAT bad. Yeah, you might get a little messed up if you repeatedly soak your hand in it, but you don't have to be a genius not to do that. Also be sure not to leave it uncovered in an areas that are not well ventilated. For example, leaving it open on your desk is a bad idea. If you fool with it you might want to do it out side with a dust mask to be safe, because vapor is the most dangerous part.

I would look into neat compounds that can be made with it. It's a hard to come by so there might be something cool that you wouldn't ordinarily be able to make.
2008-07-01, 5:02 PM #7
When I was little I found a broke thermometer in our bathroom and when I opened it the mercury was in my hands.. then I played with it for a while.. but it was just a small amount.
"Nulla tenaci invia est via"
2008-07-01, 5:04 PM #8
This:

Originally posted by IRG SithLord:
Chug it.


Or this:

Originally posted by Emon:
Uh, have it properly disposed because you are almost certainly not knowledgeable enough to properly handle it and are already well on your way to a Darwin award.

Nothing personal, I would do the same.


Seriously, why would you even want that stuff around? Of course we'll all have toxic accidents waiting to happen in our homes if they ever mandate those stupid compact fluorescent bulbs...
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2008-07-01, 5:10 PM #9
One CFL bulb has 0.1 cm of mercury vapor in it. That's about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. It's actually completely harmless, especially considering how quickly it will disperse into the surrounding atmosphere.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2008-07-01, 5:15 PM #10
It's not that dangerous. I'm also not an idiot. I don't leave it lying around, uncovered or otherwise. As I said, it's stored in two containers, in safe, level place where it can't fall down.

The reason I "have this stuff around anyway" is because it's hard to come by. It's a rather unique element, and being able to obtain it in this quantity is a rather unique opportunity.

I'm looking into making various compounds. Nothing so far seems to be very useful, though.
2008-07-01, 5:19 PM #11
Well, okay, if you have previous education and training in chemistry then you are probably safe. Nevertheless, I would probably put on some gloves, play with it for a few minutes, get bored then take it to the recycling center.

It's not so much a concern with say, contact with the element itself, but if it happens to spill, the cleanup may be next to impossible. Imaging spilling it on wood flooring.
Bassoon, n. A brazen instrument into which a fool blows out his brains.
2008-07-01, 5:22 PM #12
Originally posted by Emon:
One CFL bulb has 0.1 cm of mercury vapor in it. That's about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. It's actually completely harmless, especially considering how quickly it will disperse into the surrounding atmosphere.


Yes but look at how the government over-reacts to everything and how happy people are to sue for anything.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2008-07-01, 5:23 PM #13
I wish I had enough to do this:
http://www.ics.uci.edu/~eppstein/pix/bar/miro/Almaden1.html
2008-07-01, 9:36 PM #14
TTIUWP
2008-07-01, 10:21 PM #15
Eat it.





and/or






Kill it with fire.
Epstein didn't kill himself.
2008-07-01, 10:44 PM #16
bring it to a school and leave it open

then watch the chaos that ensues
Holy soap opera Batman. - FGR
DARWIN WILL PREVENT THE DOWNFALL OF OUR RACE. - Rob
Free Jin!
2008-07-01, 10:48 PM #17
ebay it.
"They're everywhere, the little harlots."
-Martyn
2008-07-01, 10:55 PM #18
I'm more...intrigued of how you were able to acquire 5 lbs of a well known toxic element...
Code to the left of him, code to the right of him, code in front of him compil'd and thundered. Programm'd at with shot and $SHELL. Boldly he typed and well. Into the jaws of C. Into the mouth of PERL. Debug'd the 0x258.
2008-07-01, 11:19 PM #19
Alloy it with tin or whatever and make a bunch of those trick spoons that melt when you put them in your coffee.

OR

X-TREME WATER BALLOON FIGHT
Stuff
2008-07-01, 11:31 PM #20
water balloon? more like load up your super soaker

o.0
2008-07-02, 12:14 AM #21
Another idea:

1. Acquire chunk of aluminum
2. Pour some mercury onto aluminum
3. Watch in fascination as the mercury "dissolves" the aluminum.
Stuff
2008-07-02, 5:51 AM #22
I was under the impression that you could probably drink mercury and be fine since it's only the vapour that's harmfull.

So drink up?
Detty. Professional Expert.
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2008-07-02, 6:58 AM #23
Donate it to your local high school or university (call 'em first).

Don't touch it. Don't eat it. Don't inhale the fumes.

Mercury levels accumulate in the body and are not removed. Once you have been exposed to enough of it, you are dead. Of course, you'll go crazy long before that happens.

Have a nice day.
"Harriet, sweet Harriet - hard-hearted harbinger of haggis."
2008-07-02, 6:58 AM #24
put it in a torus, charge it, accelerate it to 99% the speed of light, hey presto, you got yourself a weak *** gravity generator.
Code:
if(getThingFlags(source) & 0x8){
  do her}
elseif(getThingFlags(source) & 0x4){
  do other babe}
else{
  do a dude}
2008-07-02, 7:13 AM #25
Line your beaver fur hat with it and host a tea party.
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2008-07-02, 7:21 AM #26
I would be worried about violating some sort of Federal/EPA law with this quanity of mercury.
My favorite JKDF2 h4x:
EAH XMAS v2
MANIPULATOR GUN
EAH SMOOTH SNIPER
2008-07-02, 7:47 AM #27
Each of us probably violates EPA regulations regularly without evening knowing it.
"I would rather claim to be an uneducated man than be mal-educated and claim to be otherwise." - Wookie 03:16

2008-07-02, 9:41 AM #28
Mercury isn't as dangerous as most people think. My parents played with and handled mercury, with their hands, in school.
2008-07-02, 10:04 AM #29
They probably also cleaned their hands with bromine.
nope.
2008-07-02, 10:09 AM #30
That explains a lot.
2008-07-02, 10:31 AM #31
Originally posted by Vincent Valentine:
Mercury isn't as dangerous as most people think. My parents played with and handled mercury, with their hands, in school.


:carl:

No kidding. So did I. A few exposures aren't going to kill anyone. However, handling it and inhaling the fumes gets it in your body, and there it will stay until you are worm food. The human body has no mechanism for removing heavy metals like mercury and lead. At some point when enough has been accumulated in the body, it interferes with electrical impulses in the brain, which leads to the crazy behavior, and eventually, enough of it in the body is fatal. The amount depends on the size of the person, IIRC.
"Harriet, sweet Harriet - hard-hearted harbinger of haggis."
2008-07-02, 10:31 AM #32
Originally posted by Wookie06:
Each of us probably violates EPA regulations regularly without evening knowing it.


I'm violating an EPA regulation right now.

[http://www.stealingourwebs.com/misc/pgriffin.jpg]
the idiot is the person who follows the idiot and your not following me your insulting me your following the path of a idiot so that makes you the idiot - LC Tusken
2008-07-02, 10:33 AM #33
Guys, mercury isn't like nuclear waste.
2008-07-02, 10:40 AM #34
Sorry, it's only 2.5 lbs. That little glass jar weighed a pound and a half by itself. 2.5 lbs of mercury is ~100ml. Pretty dense stuff. It's fun watching quarters and bolts float in it.
2008-07-02, 11:00 AM #35
Originally posted by Chewbubba:
:carl:

No kidding. So did I. A few exposures aren't going to kill anyone. However, handling it and inhaling the fumes gets it in your body, and there it will stay until you are worm food. The human body has no mechanism for removing heavy metals like mercury and lead. At some point when enough has been accumulated in the body, it interferes with electrical impulses in the brain, which leads to the crazy behavior, and eventually, enough of it in the body is fatal. The amount depends on the size of the person, IIRC.


That's what you only use it in a well ventilated area. The key is not be an idiot.
2008-07-02, 11:05 AM #36
Use it to extract gold from computer parts.

Be careful, though.
2008-07-02, 7:40 PM #37
I love the comments on that page:

Issueist, Tulsa, ok (4/1/2008 8:44:54 AM)
dude, the mercury is banned because its dangerous...why did you use the mercury dude??

just why, i mean why did you use it dude?

kevin, owasso (4/1/2008 10:21:28 AM)
The dude cant hear you.
He is dead.
Warhead[97]
2008-07-02, 7:42 PM #38
haha
2008-07-02, 8:51 PM #39
Originally posted by Detty:
I was under the impression that you could probably drink mercury and be fine since it's only the vapour that's harmfull.

So drink up?


I highly doubt that.
"it is time to get a credit card to complete my financial independance" — Tibby, Aug. 2009
2008-07-02, 9:03 PM #40
drinking it doesn't make mercury stop creating vapour... except it'd get muuuch closer to your lungs.
"NAILFACE" - spe
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