15 Facts on H2SO3 + HgO: What, How To Balance & FAQs

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Chemical reactions undergo the right mechanisms to form stable products utilized in industrial and agricultural growth. Let us know about the chemical reactivity of H2SO3 and HgO.

H2SO3 functions as a reducing agent and disinfectant. These aqueous sulfite solutions can be oxidized to sulphuric acid on accepting oxygen species. HgO is an inorganic compound which is solid at normal room temperature conditions. It is used in the production of mercury as it can easily be decomposed.

The reactivity of H2SO3 and HgO can result in the formation of vibration-sensitive compounds. Thus, important chemical characteristics of the reacting species are assessed in the following notes.

What is the product of H2SO3 and HgO?

H2SO3 and HgO interact to produce mercury (II) sulfite and water.

H2SO3 + HgO = HgSO3 + H2O

What type of reaction is H2SO3 + HgO?

H2SO3 + HgO is a double displacement reaction.

How to balance H2SO3 + HgO?

The below-mentioned algebraic methodology can be followed to balance the reaction

H2SO3 + HgO = HgSO3 + H2O,

  • Each species present in the equation is marked with a respective variable (A, B, C, and D) to illustrate unknown coefficients.
  • A H2SO3 + B HgO = C HgSO3 + D H2O
  • Then, a suitable quantity thought of as the coefficient of reactants and product species, is applied to solve the equation.
  • Hg = A = C, O = A + 3B = 3C + D, H = 2B = 2D, S = B = C
  • The Gaussian elimination methodology is applied to ascertain all the variables and coefficients, and the outcomes are
  • A = 1, B = 1, C = 1, and D = 2
  • Hence, the overall balanced equation is,
  • H2SO3 + HgO = HgSO3 + H2O

H2SO3 + HgO titration

The titration of H2SO3 + HgO is not feasible as H2SO3 is unstable in normal conditions and HgO functions as a catalyst. Also, there is an unavailability of the base in this system.  

H2SO3 + HgO net ionic equation

The net ionic equation of H2SO3 + HgO is,

H2SO3 (aq) + Hg+2 (s) + O-2 (aq) = HgSO3 (s) + 2 H2O (l)

  • Write the balanced chemical equation and designate the physical states of reactants and products accordingly
  • H2SO3 (aq) + HgO (aq) = HgSO3 (s) + 2 HCl (aq)
  • Now, strong acids, bases, and salts dissociate into ions whereas pure solid substances and molecules do not dissociate
  • Thus, the net ionic equation is
  • H2SO3 (aq) + Hg+2 (s) + O-2 (aq) = HgSO3 (s) + 2 H2O (l)

H2SO3 + HgO conjugate pairs

H2SO3 + HgO reaction has the following conjugate pairs,

  • Conjugate base of H2SO3 is HSO3–.
  • Conjugate acid of HgO is Hg–.

H2SO3 and HgO intermolecular forces

Intermolecular forces acting on H2SO3 and HgO are,

  • H2SO3 molecules interact with each other using strong covalent bonds.
  • HgO interacts using metallic bonds and London dispersion forces.

H2SO3 + HgO reaction enthalpy

H2SO3 + HgO exhibits no reaction enthalpy in the literature search because the product formed changes abruptly which is not possible to record.

Is H2SO3 + HgO a buffer solution?

H2SO3 + HgO cannot be a buffer solution because strong acid (H2SO3) does not form a buffer.

Is H2SO3 + HgO a complete reaction?

H2SO3 + HgO is not a complete reaction because the formed product HgSO3 converts readily to form HgS.  

Is H2SO3 + HgO an exothermic or endothermic reaction?

H2SO3 + HgO is an exothermic reaction because the increase in temperature due to the liberation of heat with the addition of strong sulfurous acid is observed.

Is H2SO3 + HgO a redox reaction?

H2SO3 + HgO is not a redox reaction because the reactants do not undergo a change in their oxidation states during the reaction.

Is H2SO3 + HgO a precipitation reaction?

H2SO3 + HgO is a precipitation reaction because HgSO3 precipitates down when the reaction ends.

Is H2SO3 + HgO reversible or irreversible reaction?

H2SO3 + HgO is an irreversible reaction because the products once formed cannot be changed back into the original reactants.

Is H2SO3 + HgO displacement reaction?

H2SO3 + HgO is a double displacement where sulfite and oxide anion replaces their respective cation species (hydrogen and mercury) to produce novel compounds.

Conclusions

The reactivity of H2SO3 + CaCl2 forming mercury (II) sulfite is a double displacement endothermic reaction. The product formed is unstable in normal standard conditions and converts into HgS. Mercury sulfide is widely used in photoelectrochemical cells because of its band gap of 2.1eV and stability.