Help w/ Gravimetric Anaylsis of Mercury Oxide

  • Thread starter Thread starter help4drdu
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mercury
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on the steps required to perform gravimetric analysis to determine the percentage of mercury in mercury oxide. Participants clarify that fractional distillation is not applicable and recommend using heat to constant mass analysis instead. It is established that heating mercury oxide leads to the decomposition of the compound, resulting in mercury vapor rather than liquid mercury. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding the properties of mercury and its behavior when heated.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of gravimetric analysis techniques
  • Knowledge of heat to constant mass analysis
  • Familiarity with the properties of mercury oxide
  • Basic concepts of chemical decomposition
NEXT STEPS
  • Research heat to constant mass analysis methods
  • Study the properties and behavior of mercury oxide when heated
  • Learn about chemical decomposition processes
  • Explore safety protocols for handling mercury and its vapors
USEFUL FOR

Chemistry students, laboratory technicians, and researchers involved in analytical chemistry and material analysis will benefit from this discussion.

help4drdu
Messages
9
Reaction score
0
1. List the steps needed if a scientist is to use gravimetric analysis to find the percentage of mercury in a sample of mercury oxide. 2. Dont really know how to do it but i know you must use fractional distillation, right? and then everything is a mystery. Help will be greatly appreciated.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I don't think fractional distillation would be called gravimetric analysis. You should go for a heat to constant mass analysis.

What do you know about mercury oxide when heated?
 
Note: mercury is volatile.
 
Kushal said:
I don't think fractional distillation would be called gravimetric analysis. You should go for a heat to constant mass analysis.
I am not sure what is heat to constant mass analysis because i have not learned it yet and though question specifically says 'using gravimetric anaylsis' so I am confused.

Kushal said:
What do you know about mercury oxide when heated?
It expands and evaporates due a low boiling point, right?

Thanks for all the replies at the moment.
 
Last edited:
help4drdu said:
It expands and evaporates due a low boiling point, right?

No. It is solid. Solids don't boil.

What is opposite of synthesis?
 
Borek said:
What is opposite of synthesis?

Decomposition, so if we heat mercury we are removing the oxide [ions or molecules? sorry not v. good chemistry] leaving us w/ pure mercury? [ sort of of a random guess]

I am sort of getting lost. Thanks anyways
 
Last edited:
Decomposition - you are right. Problem is, what is produced is a mercury vapor, not liquid mercury.

That's where the distillation may come handy. Once you have liquid mercury you can weight it...

Note, that most likely no one will do it this way in the real lab.
 
Great thanks for the info Borek, you have been a great help.
 

Similar threads

Would anyone be able to help me regarding mercury?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
Calculating Percent Nickel in DMG-Ni Complexes: Where Did I Go Wrong?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
5K
Gravimetric analysis of phosphorous
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
22K
Help with a question regarding Gravimetric Calculations
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
How do I calculate the cell potential?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Exploring End-Use Applications for recycled HDPE from used oil containers
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Corrosion and galvanic corrosion (Basic level)
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
4K
What is the percentage of Fool's Gold in the original sample?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Calculating how much solvent is needed to dilute 1.5M of Cu(NO3)2
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
9K
Help: Obtaining the elemental concentration using EDX analysis
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
4K