Mercury(II) oxide facts for kids
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Mercury(II) oxide is a special kind of chemical compound. Think of it as a tiny building block made from two different parts: the metal mercury and oxygen. Its chemical formula, or "recipe," is HgO. This means each piece of mercury(II) oxide has one atom of mercury and one atom of oxygen joined together.
Contents
What is Mercury(II) Oxide Like?
Mercury(II) oxide is a solid substance that can be either red or yellow. It is very dangerous to touch or swallow. It is toxic, meaning it can cause harm if it gets into your body. It is also corrosive, which means it can damage or burn skin and other materials.
This compound can react strongly with certain other chemicals. It is an "oxidizing agent," which means it can cause other substances to lose electrons in a chemical reaction. When heated, mercury(II) oxide breaks down into its original parts: liquid mercury metal and oxygen gas. It also reacts with acids to form different types of mercury compounds, like mercury(II) chloride.
How is Mercury(II) Oxide Made?
Scientists can make mercury(II) oxide in a few ways. One way is to heat mercury metal and oxygen gas together at a temperature of about 350 degrees Celsius (662 degrees Fahrenheit).
Another way to make the red form of mercury(II) oxide is by heating a compound called mercury(II) nitrate. If you want the yellow form, you can mix a mercury(II) salt with a strong base, which is the opposite of an acid.
What is Mercury(II) Oxide Used For?
Mercury(II) oxide has a few important uses. It can be used as a starting material to create other mercury compounds.
One of its main uses is in mercury batteries. These are small batteries often used in things like watches or hearing aids. Mercury(II) oxide is a good choice for these batteries because it is much cheaper than the silver(I) oxide used in silver oxide batteries.
Images for kids
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Montroydite structure (red atoms are oxygen)
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Cinnabar structure
See also
In Spanish: Óxido de mercurio(II) para niños
