Mercury(I) oxide, also known as mercurous oxide, is an inorganic metal oxide with the chemical formula Hg
2O.
It is a brown/black powder, insoluble in water but soluble in
nitric acid
Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...
. With
hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid
Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...
, it reacts to form calomel,
Hg2Cl2.
Mercury(I) oxide is toxic but without taste or smell. It is chemically unstable and converts to
mercury(II) oxide
Mercury(II) oxide, also called mercuric oxide or simply mercury oxide, is the inorganic compound with the formula Hg O. It has a red or orange color. Mercury(II) oxide is a solid at room temperature and pressure. The mineral form montroydite is v ...
and
mercury
Mercury commonly refers to:
* Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun
* Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg
* Mercury (mythology), a Roman god
Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to:
Companies
* Merc ...
metal.
References
Oxides
Mercury(I) compounds
Inorganic compounds
{{Inorganic-compound-stub