Why are so few elements liquid at room temperature?

Question

Many elements are gas or solids at room temperature, but only mercury and bromine are liquid. Why?

In: 1

Answer 1

“room temperature” is a very narrow band of temperature across a spectrum of naturally occuring temps going from minus 273 Celcius all the way to hudnreds of millions of degrees. If many were liquid between 20 and 40C, it would be such a statistical anomaly that we’d have to investigate as to why.