Uses
of Mercury
When
it comes to versatility, Mercury is your # one man.
It has many uses for today’s common man and mad scientist. Mercury
easily forms alloys with many metals, such as gold, silver, and tin, which are
called amalgams. Amalgams are liquid alloys, which can be useful in such cases
as dental purposes when teeth need to be filled.
Gold and Silver dissolve in Mercury making it easier to extract the
precious metals from the ores (Zinc Group element Mercury, Encyclopedia
Britannica).
Also,
Mercury doesn’t stick to glass or wet it.
This and the fact that it expands easily and rapidly as
the temperature increases makes Mercury ideal for thermometers and barometers.
Mercury also is 
a good thermal conductor, making it an excellent shield
and coolant in nuclear reactors.
Mercury
vapor is used instead of steam in the boilers of some turbine engines (Encarta).
Since
Mercury is not attacked by dry air, oxygen, or carbon dioxide at room
temperature, it forms an excellent conductor of electricity.
This makes it useful in sealed
electrical switches and relays.
In vapor form, electrical charges cause Mercury to produce a bluish glow
in ultraviolet light.
This characteristic puts Mercury to use in vapor lamps.
(Properties, Uses, and occurrence, Encyclopedia Britannica) Although
these are very good uses for quicksilver, the elements main use still lies
within the need of pharmaceuticals, fungicides, and dental fillings, despite its
toxicity.