Final answer:
The chemical property of mercury is its reaction with strong oxidizing acids, such as nitric acid, where it forms mercuric nitrate, water, and nitrogen oxides. This is contrasted with its physical properties, like being liquid at room temperature, and its malleability and high surface tension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical property of mercury that is presented in the options given is its reaction with strong oxidizing acids to form products, as shown with nitric acid. Mercury does not react with non-oxidizing acids like hydrochloric acid (HCl), so it does not release hydrogen gas when in contact with such acids. Therefore, the answer is it reacts with an acid to release hydrogen gas.
Mercury is notable for its physical properties, notably being the only metal that is liquid at room temperature. This characteristic, along with its high melting point and boiling point, makes it unique among metals. Mercury's liquid state at a room temperature of 25 °C contrasts with other metals like zinc and cadmium, and metals like alkali metals which melt below 200°C or transition metals that melt above 1000°C.
The metal's malleability and high surface tension make it an anomaly among metals, as most have much higher melting points and are solid at room temperature. Its atomic number is 80, and atomic weight is 200.593, both are physical properties that define its position and mass in the periodic table.