# Help w/ Gravimetric Anaylsis of Mercury Oxide

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• #1
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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.

• #2
437
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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?

• #3
Borek
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Note: mercury is volatile.

• #4
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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 learnt it yet and though question specifically says 'using gravimetric anaylsis' so I am confused.

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:
• #5
Borek
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It expands and evaporates due a low boiling point, right?

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

What is opposite of synthesis?

• #6
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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? [ sorta of a random guess]

I am sort of getting lost. Thanks anyways

Last edited:
• #7
Borek
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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.

• #8
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Great thanks for the info Borek, you have been a great help.

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