Solid mercury breaks down when heated forming the elements mercury and oxygen. write an equation for this reaction
To write the equation for the breakdown of solid mercury (Hg) into mercury (Hg) and oxygen (O2), we need to balance the equation so that the number of atoms of each element is the same on both sides.
The breakdown of solid mercury can be represented by the following equation:
2HgO -> 2Hg + O2
This equation shows that two molecules of solid mercury oxide (HgO) break down into two molecules of mercury (Hg) and one molecule of oxygen gas (O2).