Joseph Priestly discovered oxygen when he heated a red powder. This red powder had been prepared by heating mercury in air.
a) name th red powder formed when this element is heated in air
b) write a word equation to show what happens to this red powder when it is strongly heated in air.
Thanks!
I will be happy to critique your thinking on the reaction of Mercury and oxygen
a) mercury (or mercuric) oxide, HgO
b) When you strongly heat mercury oxide, it changes back to mercury (Hg) and oxygen (O2). This heating does NOT have to be done in air.
Your answers for both parts are correct!
a) The red powder formed when mercury is heated in air is called mercury oxide or mercuric oxide (HgO). This is because mercury reacts with oxygen in the air to form this compound.
b) The word equation for the reaction can be written as:
Mercury oxide(s) (HgO) → Mercury(l) (Hg) + Oxygen(g) (O2)
When heated, mercury oxide decomposes into liquid mercury and gaseous oxygen. It is important to note that this reaction can also occur without air or oxygen.