Mercury droplets. Mercury (originally known as quicksilver) is a dense, silvery metal that is a liquid at room temperature. Mercury is used in electrical apparatus, catalysis, poisons and dental amalgams. The metal has a surface tension which is so high as to make the smaller droplets form almost perfect spheres. Mercury is obtained commercially from the mineral cinnabar (mercury sulphide). Mercury, along with most of its compounds, is highly toxic to humans. Mercury is a transition metal belonging to the zinc group of the periodic table and has the chemical symbol Hg.