An analytical equation of state for mercury

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 %.