To determine which bonds are the strongest in the given reaction, we need to examine the bond energies of the different bonds involved.
In the given reaction, 2HgO → 2Hg + O2, the bonds that need to be considered are the Hg-Hg bond in the solid metal (the product) and the Hg-O bond in HgO (the reactant).
The strength of a chemical bond is typically measured by its bond energy, which is the amount of energy required to break a particular bond. Higher bond energy indicates a stronger bond.
To find the bond energies, we can refer to reliable sources such as databases or chemistry textbooks. The bond energy of the Hg-Hg bond can be found by looking up the average bond energy for a single Hg-Hg bond. Similarly, the bond energy of the Hg-O bond can be determined by finding the average bond energy for a single Hg-O bond.
However, it is important to note that the reaction given (2HgO → 2Hg + O2) involves breaking Hg-O bonds and forming Hg-Hg bonds. Therefore, the stronger bonds would be the ones that require more energy to break.
Based on typical bond energies, we know that Hg-Hg bonds are relatively strong, as they are metallic bonds. They require a significant amount of energy to break, making them quite stable in solid mercury.
On the other hand, Hg-O bonds are typically weaker than Hg-Hg bonds since they are not metallic bonds. While they still have bonding characteristics, they are not as strong as the metallic bonds in Hg-Hg.
Considering these factors, we can conclude that the bonds between Hg atoms in the solid metal (Hg-Hg) are stronger than the bonds between Hg and O (Hg-O) in the given reaction. The bond between O and O (O-O) is not directly involved in the reaction, so its strength does not affect the comparison between the Hg-Hg and Hg-O bonds.