For making good quality mirrors, plates of float glass are used. These are obtained by floating molten glass over a liquid metal which does not solidify before glass. The metal used can be
mercury
tin
sodium
magnesium.
Order of melting points -
The transition elements (other than Zn, Hg, Cd) have high melting and boiling points.With some exceptions, when we move from left to right in a period, melting point increases till middle (Cr) and after that, it starts to decrease.
- wherein
Mn and Tc are the exceptions to this trend.
Mercury can be used in such case as it exists as liquid at room temprature