Lightest metal that is liquid near room temperature
- Who
- gallium
- What
- 31 total number
- Where
- Not Applicable
- When
- 1875
The elements bromine, mercury, rubidium, caesium, francium and gallium are all liquids at or just above room temperature. The unusual metal gallium, with an atomic number of 31, is the lightest of these and melts at just 29.76 C. Unlike liquid mercury, which is highly toxic, gallium is safe to handle and will melt in your hand. These properties have made gallium the ingredient of a popular practical joke among chemists who serve guests tea alongside a gallium spoon, which rapidly disappears once used to stir. Gallium was discovered in 1875.
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