Question

Can the mercury cation (Hg2+) oxidize silver metal to aqueous silver cation? If so, would the reaction equation be as follows:

2 Ag(s) + Hg2+(aq) ---> Hg(l) + 2 Ag+(aq)

Thank you!

Answers

DrBob222
Ag(s) ==> Ag^+ + e Eo = -0.799
Hg^2+ + 2e ==> Hg..Eo = +0.789
------------------------
2Ag(s) + Hg2^2+ => 2Ag^+ + Hg E = -0.01
If it would oxidize it yes, that would be the reaction; however, you can see that the Eo value is -0.01 so it isn't spontaneous. K for that is about 0.459 so the equilibrium point is to the left in the reaction.
Rainbow
Thanks for the clarification! So besides Mercury, is there any metal cation that can oxidize silver metal to aqueous silver cation?
DrBob222
Here is a copy of the activity series of metals. Any metal ion below Ag should oxidized Ag metal to Ag +1 ion. So Pt and Au ions should do it
https://www.google.com/search?q=activity+series+metals&client=firefox-a&hs=dwv&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=sb&tbm=isch&imgil=iBkXzX7JFqX2uM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcTP4f7Kg7BS_09X19Oa3XvBtOr19hJTXLxkT7xQ_c8IKZNwPaFf-w%253B430%253B549%253B2OwpFSfAa4q8sM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.grandinetti.org%25252FTeaching%25252FChem121%25252FLectures%25252FActivitySeries&source=iu&usg=__LInAFLlIqFcdqzwZjb8YYuQiIyw%3D&sa=X&ei=1vdCU6qdNO3jsATo34CICg&ved=0CCwQ9QEwAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=iBkXzX7JFqX2uM%253A%3B2OwpFSfAa4q8sM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.grandinetti.org%252Fresources%252FTeaching%252FChem121%252FLectures%252FActivitySeries%252FActivitySeries.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.grandinetti.org%252FTeaching%252FChem121%252FLectures%252FActivitySeries%3B430%3B549

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