mercury, chemical element: Compounds

Mercury forms numerous compounds, assuming +1 valence in mercurous compounds and +2 valence in mercuric compounds. Mercury is not attacked by dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. It reacts with hot nitric acid to form mercuric nitrate, Hg(No₃)₂. An excess of mercury reacts with nitric acid to form mercurous nitrate, HgNO₃. Mercury reacts with hot concentrated sulfuric acid to form mercuric sulfate, HgSO₄; with excess mercury, mercurous sulfate, Hg₂SO₄, is formed. Mercury reacts directly with the halogens to form mercuric salts. At elevated temperatures mercury reacts slowly with oxygen to form mercuric oxide, HgO. A mercurous oxide may be formed chemically but is unstable, decomposing to a mixture of mercury and mercuric oxide.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Natural Occurrence and Uses
• Compounds
• Properties

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