Abstract :
This paper presents a procedure Ibr predicting tile equation of state of mercury,
by including mercury in tile scope of a new statistical mechanical equation of
state that is known Ibr nornlal fluids. Tile scaling constants are the latent heat
of vaporization and the density at the melting temperature, which are related to
the cohesive energy density. Since experimental data for the second virial
coelficient of mercury are scarce, a corresponding-states correlation of normal
fluids is used to calctdate the B(T) of mercury. The free parameter of the ISM
equation, 2, compensates for the uncertainties in B(T). Also, we can predict the
values of two temperature-dependent parameters. ~t(T) and b(T), with satisfactory
accuracy [ʹtoni a knowledge of ~H,,u, and p.,, without knowing any details
of the iIntermolccular potentials. While the values of B(T) are scarce for mercury
and the vapor pressure of this metal at low temperatures is very small, an equation
of state lbr mercury fronl two scaling parameters (~JH,,, v, p.,) predicts the
density of Hg from the melting point up to 100 ~ above the boiling temperature
to within 5 %.
