- #1
c_d
- 6
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Hi,
I'm trying to write an equation to show what happens when mercury liquid (Hg) is placed on a block of aluminium (Al). But I'm having some problems. Here's my current line of thinking (I haven't yet worked out any subscripts so I will just use the atomic symbols):
Al has an aluminium oxide layer, which is denoted by AlO. Do I include this aluminium oxide in the left hand side of the equation? The way I see it is the mercury is being added to both the aluminium and the aluminium oxide. And do I add the oxygen in the air to the left hand side. The oxygen in the air will react with the aluminium.
Hg + O + Al + AlO -> Some result
As for the result I'm not sure what it should be. The mercury never bonds with the aluminium does it? I think that the mercury reacts with the aluminium oxide (is AlO a gas or a solid):
Hg(s) + AlO(?) -> Hg(s) + Al(s) + O(g)
And then the oxygen reacts with the aluminium to form aluminium oxide again:
Al(s) + O(g) -> AlO(?)
From my working out it the reaction never ends. So I've either made a great discovery or I've made a mistake . Can someone give me some pointers as to the final result?
Thanks.
I'm trying to write an equation to show what happens when mercury liquid (Hg) is placed on a block of aluminium (Al). But I'm having some problems. Here's my current line of thinking (I haven't yet worked out any subscripts so I will just use the atomic symbols):
Al has an aluminium oxide layer, which is denoted by AlO. Do I include this aluminium oxide in the left hand side of the equation? The way I see it is the mercury is being added to both the aluminium and the aluminium oxide. And do I add the oxygen in the air to the left hand side. The oxygen in the air will react with the aluminium.
Hg + O + Al + AlO -> Some result
As for the result I'm not sure what it should be. The mercury never bonds with the aluminium does it? I think that the mercury reacts with the aluminium oxide (is AlO a gas or a solid):
Hg(s) + AlO(?) -> Hg(s) + Al(s) + O(g)
And then the oxygen reacts with the aluminium to form aluminium oxide again:
Al(s) + O(g) -> AlO(?)
From my working out it the reaction never ends. So I've either made a great discovery or I've made a mistake . Can someone give me some pointers as to the final result?
Thanks.