Clara hofer, age 11, of Nashville, Tenn., For her question:

Where do we  get quicksilver?

Quicksilver is also called mercury. The runny silver bright Element is the only metal which is a liquid at ordinary temperatures. In nature, traces of mercury occur in many rocky minerals of the Earth's crust. There are some 25 of these mercury bearing ores. The most valuable mercury ore is the soft, bright red mineral called cinnabar.  Deposits of cinnabar are found in California and several other far western states. There are cinnabar deposits in Texas and Arizona. The United States has enough red cinnabar to provide all the mercury it needs. Spain, Austria and Italy also produce large quantities of mercury.