Voici pourquoi:
* Metallic Bonding: Mercury is a metal, and its atoms are held together by strong metallic bonds. This strong cohesive force between the mercury atoms leads to a very high surface tension.
* Forces intermoléculaires faibles: Mercury has very weak intermolecular forces (van der Waals forces) compared to other liquids. Cela signifie que l'attraction entre les atomes de mercure dans le liquide est beaucoup plus forte que l'attraction entre les atomes de mercure et l'air au-dessus.
Remarque: While mercury has the highest surface tension at room temperature, other liquids can have higher surface tension at different temperatures. For example, water's surface tension is higher than mercury's at lower temperatures.
