What is the mass of mercury that can be prepared from 2.00 g of cobalt metal?
Co(s)+HgCl2(aq)→CoCl3(aq)+Hg(l)
2Co + 3HgCl2 ==> 2CoCl3 + 3Hg
mols Co = grams/atomic mass
Using the coefficients in the balanced equation, convert mols Co to mols Hg.
Now convert mols Hg to grams; i.e., g = mols x atomic mass = ?
To determine the mass of mercury that can be prepared from 2.00 g of cobalt metal, we need to use stoichiometry. Stoichiometry is the quantitative relationship between the reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
First, we need to write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction:
Co(s) + HgCl2(aq) → CoCl3(aq) + Hg(l)
From the equation, we can see that 1 mole of cobalt metal (Co) reacts with 1 mole of mercury(II) chloride (HgCl2) to produce 1 mole of cobalt(III) chloride (CoCl3) and 1 mole of mercury (Hg).
To find the mass of mercury produced, we need to know the molar mass of cobalt (Co) and mercury (Hg). The molar mass of cobalt is 58.93 g/mol, and the molar mass of mercury is 200.59 g/mol.
Now, let's set up the calculation:
1. Convert the mass of cobalt (2.00 g) to moles:
Moles of Co = Mass of Co / Molar Mass of Co
Moles of Co = 2.00 g / 58.93 g/mol
= 0.0339 mol (rounded to four decimal places)
2. Use the stoichiometry to determine the moles of mercury (Hg):
Moles of Hg = Moles of Co
Moles of Hg = 0.0339 mol
3. Convert moles of mercury to mass:
Mass of Hg = Moles of Hg × Molar Mass of Hg
Mass of Hg = 0.0339 mol × 200.59 g/mol
= 6.789 g (rounded to three decimal places)
Therefore, the mass of mercury that can be prepared from 2.00 g of cobalt metal is 6.789 grams.