Group IIB

Zn, Cd, Hg
 Properties
Element Symbol Atomic Ionisation Density Melting Boiling Oxidation
number Potential point Point potential
Zinc Zn 30 9.39 7.14 419.4⁰C 920⁰ +0.76
Cadmium Cd 48 8.99 8.64 321⁰C 767⁰ +0.40
Mercury Hg 80 10.43 13.46 -38.8⁰C 356.7⁰ -0.85

Zinc is bluish white, cadmium is tin white while

mercury is silver white in color.
Zn and Cd is metal while Hg is usually a liquid.
Has electropositive character, and reactivity decrease
from zinc to mercury.
 Properties of Zn
• Massive Zn has good metallic properties although that is rather
brittle.
• Zn is active metal, With acid, can evolve hydrogen.
• In air, Zn tarnishes but slightly, cause it form a self protective coat of
oxide or carbonate.
• In all compounds, Zn show only a +2 oxidation state.
• The Zinc ion, Zn2+ is colorless and not paramagnetic.
• In aqueous solution it hydrolyzes to give lightly acid solution.
Zn2+ + H2O ↔ Zn(OH)+ + H+ Kh= 2.5 x 10-10
• When base is added to solution of zinc salt, white zinc hydroxide,
Zn(OH)2 is precipitated. This hydroxide is amphoteric, and further
addition of base dissolves it to give zincate ion, Zn(OH)42-
• Zinc metal is a stronger reducing agent (has higher oxidation
potential) for basic solution (+1.22volts) than for acid solution(+1.76
volts)
• Zinc has great tendency to form stable complex ion, for example:
• Zn(OH)2 is easily dissolved in aqueous ammonia because of the
formation a complex Zn(NH3)4 2+ .The hydroxide can also be dissolved
in cyanide solutions because of the formation of Zn(CN)4 2-
•  
• Zn(NH3)4 2+ → Zn2+ + 4NH3 K= 3,4.10-10
• Zn(CN)4 2- → Zn2+ + 4CN- K=1,2 . 10-18
•  
 Abundant
• About 1/100 x as abundant as copper, occur
principally as sphalerite(ZnS) or Zinc Blende.
 Making
• Prepared by roasting the sulfide in air to
convert it to oxide and then reducing the
oxide with carbon.
2ZnS + 3O2 → 2ZnO + 2SO2
ZnO + C → Zn(g) + CO(g)
Metal forms is vapor and must be condensed

•  
 Identification
• When hydrogen sulfide is passed through solution
Zinc salts which are not too acid, white Zinc
sulfide is precipitates. Although the solubility
product of ZnS (1 x 10-22) is rather small, so that
ZnS is essentially insoluble in neutral solutions,
addition of acid lower the sulfide ion
concentration sufficiently that ZnS becomes
soluble. This method is used for separating it from
other sulfides such as CuS, Ag2S, and CdS.
 Uses
• Zn metal often used as a coating on iron to
keep it from rusting.
• In alloy Brass 20-40% Zn with copper
• ZnS as white pigment, lithopone, is a mixture
of ZnS and BaSO4 and is obtained from
ZnSO4 + BaS → ZnS + BaSO4
Lithopone
 Cadmium (Cd)

• The two element (Zn, Cd) invariably occur together.

Only about 1/1000 x abundant of zinc. Cd is usually
found in the ores containing Zn such as calamine
(ZnCO3) and as sulfide in the mineral greenokite.
 • Similar with Zn, compound of
cadmium is usual has +2 oxidation
Properties of Cd state.
• Cd more volatile than Zn.
• Cd is a soft bluish white metal.
• It is slightly heavier than Zn and more
malleable and ductile.
• Cd is usually less active than Zn, only
slowly oxidized in moist air but when
heated in air, it burn form CdO
• Cd differs from Zn, that it doesn’t
show amphoteric reaction.
• Cd(OH)2 is not soluble in base alkali
• CdS can be precipitated in a dilute
acidic solution.
 Making
• Cadmium is more volatile than zinc. It
evaporates first when zinc is distilledduring
the extraction of zinc by reduction (ZnO +C).
This dust from first portion contains 1-6% of
Cadmium.
 Identification
• Like Zn2+,Cd2+ ion is colorless
• When burns in air are obtained CdO, it has brown colour
• When caustic alkali solution is added to a cadmium solution is
obtained white precipitate of Cd(OH)2. This precipitate is
soluble in acids and in ammonia, but not in excess of caustic
alkali
• With ammonia formed complex [Cd(NH3)4]2+
• With H2S forms insoluble, yellow CdS
(Ksp =1 x 10-28)
• Like Zn, Cd form a variety of complex ions including Cd(NH3)42+,
Cd(CN)42-, Cd(Cl)42-, CdI42-
 Uses
• As alloy with Copper is
utilised in the preparation
of electrical good.
• As alloy like wood’s metal
contain Bi, Pb, Sn, Cd)
• Used as a plating metal.
• CdS and CdSe are used in
pigments.
• Cadmium rods are used as
control in atomic reactor.
Mercury (Hg)
 Properties of Hg
• Hg is liquid at the ordinary temperature.
• Liquid mercury has a high metallic luster
• Liquid mercury dissolves many metals, especially the
softer ones copper, silver, gold, and alkali element, The
resulting alloy called is amalgams
• The vapour is monoatomic and very poisonous.
• Compare to the other metal, Hg is a poor conductor of
heat and electricity.
• The compounds of mercury show +1(mercurous) and +2
(mercuric) oxidation state.
 Abundant
• The name comes from Latin hydrargyrum,
meaning liquid silver
• Mineral of mercury is cinnabar (HgS)
• The ore is roasted in an excess of air, the sulfur is
removed as dioxide, and the metallic mercury
distilled off
HgS(s) + O2 → Hg + SO2 (g)

•  
 Identification
• Hg reacts with chloride ion to precipitate white mercurous
chloride Hg2Cl2, known as calomel. If exposed to light,
calomel darkens by disproportionation into Hg and HgCl2
• Like silver halides , solubility deuitesolub decrease in going
from Hg2Cl2,Hg2Br2, Hg2I2. Hg2F2 is quite soluble in
water,but the solution immediately decomposes to form
HF and insoluble black Hg2O.
• Hg2Cl2(s) ↔ Hg22+ + 2Cl- Ksp= 1.1 x 10-18
• Hg2Br2(s) ↔ Hg22+ + 2Br- Ksp= 1.3 x 10-22
• Hg2I2(s) ↔ Hg22+ + 2I- Ksp= 4.5 x 10-29
• Unlike Ag+, mercurous ion does not form an
ammonia complex. When aqueous ammonia
is added to Hg2Cl2,, the solid turn black
because of formation of devided mercury.
• Hg2Cl2 + 2NH3 → HgNH2Cl(s) + Hg + NH4+ + Cl-
• HgNH2Cl is white.
• In +2 state, Hg2+ usually found in the form of
complex ion HgCl4- , Hg(NH3)42+, Hg(CN)42-
• HgS as found in nature is red. When H2S is passed
through a mercuric solution, a black precipitate of HgS
is obtained.
• Ksp HgS is very low (Ksp= 1.6x10-54), but not as low as
a platinum sulfide, PtS(Ksp=8x10-73)
• HgS will not dissolve even in boiling nitric acid, but
with aqua regia
• If reducing agent (Sn2+) is added to a mercuric
solution, only Hg22+ is formed. If Sn2+ is added in
excess, the reduction goes to Hg.
 Qualitative Analysis
• Hg22+ and Ag+ can be separated from the other
cations by adding HCl to precipitate white,
insoluble Hg2Cl2 and AgCl. If NH3 is added to a
micture of these chlorides, a black color
appear owing to formation of Hg and HgNH2Cl.
NH3 convers AgCl into soluble Ag(NH3)2+ and
Cl-. Filtrate contain silver by addition HNO3 can
be precipitated AgCl.
• If H2S is added to acidic solution containing
Cd2+, Hg2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+., the first three
precipitate as insoluble sulfides (yellow CdS,
black HgS, and black CuS). If the solution is
then made with basic with NH3,white ZnS is
formed. A confirmation test for ZnS would be
dissolve it in HCl plus HNO3. and reprecipatate
by addition of H2S in a SO42-, HSO4- buffer.
• The separation of CdS, HgS, and CuS make use of the fact
that CdS and CuS are soluble in boiling HNO3, whereas HgS
is not.HgS can be confirmed by dissolving in aqua regia and
reducing with SnCl2 to Hg2Cl2 and Hg. Addition of NH3 to a
solution containing Cu2+ and CdS gives the blue color
characteristic of Cu(NH3)42+. Cd can be detected by first
precipitating out the Cu2+ with H2S in acid solution in the
presence of high concentration chloride ion forms
complex CdCl42-. And then adding NaC2H3O2(sodium
acetate) and H2S reduce H+ ion, thereby S2- ion will
precipitate yellow CdS.
 Uses
• Used as a barometers and thermometers
• Amalgam