H2SO4 + Hg = H2O + HgSO4 + HSO2

H_2SO_4 sulfuric acid + Hg mercury ⟶ H_2O water + HgSO_4 mercuric sulfate + HSO2

Balance the chemical equation algebraically: H_2SO_4 + Hg ⟶ H_2O + HgSO_4 + HSO2 Add stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, to the reactants and products: c_1 H_2SO_4 + c_2 Hg ⟶ c_3 H_2O + c_4 HgSO_4 + c_5 HSO2 Set the number of atoms in the reactants equal to the number of atoms in the products for H, O, S and Hg: H: | 2 c_1 = 2 c_3 + c_5 O: | 4 c_1 = c_3 + 4 c_4 + 2 c_5 S: | c_1 = c_4 + c_5 Hg: | c_2 = c_4 Since the coefficients are relative quantities and underdetermined, choose a coefficient to set arbitrarily. To keep the coefficients small, the arbitrary value is ordinarily one. For instance, set c_5 = 1 and solve the system of equations for the remaining coefficients: c_1 = 5/2 c_2 = 3/2 c_3 = 2 c_4 = 3/2 c_5 = 1 Multiply by the least common denominator, 2, to eliminate fractional coefficients: c_1 = 5 c_2 = 3 c_3 = 4 c_4 = 3 c_5 = 2 Substitute the coefficients into the chemical reaction to obtain the balanced equation: Answer: | | 5 H_2SO_4 + 3 Hg ⟶ 4 H_2O + 3 HgSO_4 + 2 HSO2

+ ⟶ + + HSO2

sulfuric acid + mercury ⟶ water + mercuric sulfate + HSO2

Construct the equilibrium constant, K, expression for: H_2SO_4 + Hg ⟶ H_2O + HgSO_4 + HSO2 Plan: • Balance the chemical equation. • Determine the stoichiometric numbers. • Assemble the activity expression for each chemical species. • Use the activity expressions to build the equilibrium constant expression. Write the balanced chemical equation: 5 H_2SO_4 + 3 Hg ⟶ 4 H_2O + 3 HgSO_4 + 2 HSO2 Assign stoichiometric numbers, ν_i, using the stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, from the balanced chemical equation in the following manner: ν_i = -c_i for reactants and ν_i = c_i for products: chemical species | c_i | ν_i H_2SO_4 | 5 | -5 Hg | 3 | -3 H_2O | 4 | 4 HgSO_4 | 3 | 3 HSO2 | 2 | 2 Assemble the activity expressions accounting for the state of matter and ν_i: chemical species | c_i | ν_i | activity expression H_2SO_4 | 5 | -5 | ([H2SO4])^(-5) Hg | 3 | -3 | ([Hg])^(-3) H_2O | 4 | 4 | ([H2O])^4 HgSO_4 | 3 | 3 | ([HgSO4])^3 HSO2 | 2 | 2 | ([HSO2])^2 The equilibrium constant symbol in the concentration basis is: K_c Mulitply the activity expressions to arrive at the K_c expression: Answer: | | K_c = ([H2SO4])^(-5) ([Hg])^(-3) ([H2O])^4 ([HgSO4])^3 ([HSO2])^2 = (([H2O])^4 ([HgSO4])^3 ([HSO2])^2)/(([H2SO4])^5 ([Hg])^3)

Construct the rate of reaction expression for: H_2SO_4 + Hg ⟶ H_2O + HgSO_4 + HSO2 Plan: • Balance the chemical equation. • Determine the stoichiometric numbers. • Assemble the rate term for each chemical species. • Write the rate of reaction expression. Write the balanced chemical equation: 5 H_2SO_4 + 3 Hg ⟶ 4 H_2O + 3 HgSO_4 + 2 HSO2 Assign stoichiometric numbers, ν_i, using the stoichiometric coefficients, c_i, from the balanced chemical equation in the following manner: ν_i = -c_i for reactants and ν_i = c_i for products: chemical species | c_i | ν_i H_2SO_4 | 5 | -5 Hg | 3 | -3 H_2O | 4 | 4 HgSO_4 | 3 | 3 HSO2 | 2 | 2 The rate term for each chemical species, B_i, is 1/ν_i(Δ[B_i])/(Δt) where [B_i] is the amount concentration and t is time: chemical species | c_i | ν_i | rate term H_2SO_4 | 5 | -5 | -1/5 (Δ[H2SO4])/(Δt) Hg | 3 | -3 | -1/3 (Δ[Hg])/(Δt) H_2O | 4 | 4 | 1/4 (Δ[H2O])/(Δt) HgSO_4 | 3 | 3 | 1/3 (Δ[HgSO4])/(Δt) HSO2 | 2 | 2 | 1/2 (Δ[HSO2])/(Δt) (for infinitesimal rate of change, replace Δ with d) Set the rate terms equal to each other to arrive at the rate expression: Answer: | | rate = -1/5 (Δ[H2SO4])/(Δt) = -1/3 (Δ[Hg])/(Δt) = 1/4 (Δ[H2O])/(Δt) = 1/3 (Δ[HgSO4])/(Δt) = 1/2 (Δ[HSO2])/(Δt) (assuming constant volume and no accumulation of intermediates or side products)

| sulfuric acid | mercury | water | mercuric sulfate | HSO2 formula | H_2SO_4 | Hg | H_2O | HgSO_4 | HSO2 Hill formula | H_2O_4S | Hg | H_2O | HgO_4S | HO2S name | sulfuric acid | mercury | water | mercuric sulfate | IUPAC name | sulfuric acid | mercury | water | mercury(+2) cation sulfate |

| sulfuric acid | mercury | water | mercuric sulfate | HSO2 molar mass | 98.07 g/mol | 200.592 g/mol | 18.015 g/mol | 296.65 g/mol | 65.07 g/mol phase | liquid (at STP) | liquid (at STP) | liquid (at STP) | solid (at STP) | melting point | 10.371 °C | -38.87 °C | 0 °C | 850 °C | boiling point | 279.6 °C | 356.6 °C | 99.9839 °C | | density | 1.8305 g/cm^3 | 13.534 g/cm^3 | 1 g/cm^3 | 5.995 g/cm^3 | solubility in water | very soluble | slightly soluble | | decomposes | surface tension | 0.0735 N/m | 0.47 N/m | 0.0728 N/m | | dynamic viscosity | 0.021 Pa s (at 25 °C) | 0.001526 Pa s (at 25 °C) | 8.9×10^-4 Pa s (at 25 °C) | | odor | odorless | odorless | odorless | |