Question

When the following equation is balanced properly under basic conditions, what are the coefficients of the species shown?

______HgO + ____ Cl- -> _____ Hg + ____ Cl2

Water appears in the balanced equation as a ______ (reactant, product, neither) with a coefficient of ____ . (Enter 0 for neither.)

How many electrons are transferred in this reaction? ____

Answer 1

Balanced equation under bacis conditions:

Step 1

$$HgO\rightarrow Hg$$

$$2Cl^-\rightarrow Cl_2$$

Step 2

$$HgO\rightarrow HgO + H_2O$$

Step 3

$$2H^+ + HgO \rightarrow Hg+H_2O$$

Step 4

$$2H^+ + HgO + 2e^- \rightarrow Hg + H_2O$$

$$2Cl^-\rightarrow Cl_2 + 2e^-$$

Step 5

$$2Cl^- +2H^+ +HgO \rightarrow Hg+H_2O + Cl_2$$

Step 6

$$2Cl^- +2OH^- + 2H^+ + HgO \rightarrow Hg + H_2O + Cl_2+ 2OH^-$$

$$2Cl^-+ 2H_2O + HgO \rightarrow Hg + H_2O +Cl_2 +2OH^-$$

$$2Cl^- + H_2O+ HgO \rightarrow Hg+Cl_2+2OH^-$$

Theccoefficients of the species are:

$$HgO+ 2Cl^- \rightarrow Hg + Cl_2$$

Water appears in the balanced equation as a reactant witha coefficient 1.

Two electrons are transferred in this reaction