a) How will you show experimentally that metals are good conductors of heat. b) Describe the extraction of Mercury metal from its ore Cinnabar (HgS).

a) Experimental Demonstration of Heat Conduction in Metals:
To experimentally demonstrate that metals are good conductors of heat, you can perform a simple heat conduction experiment using metal rods and a heat source. Here’s a basic procedure:
Materials:
Metal rods of different materials (e.g., copper, aluminum, iron)
Insulating materials (e.g., cork or wooden blocks)
Bunsen burner or any heat source
Wax or candle
Stopwatch or timer
Procedure:
1.Place the metal rods side by side on a heat-resistant surface.
2.Attach small pieces of wax or candles at equal distances along the length of each metal rod.
3.Insert the rods into insulating materials to fix them in place.
4.Heat one end of each metal rod simultaneously using a Bunsen burner or another heat source.

Observation:
1.Observe the melting of the wax on each metal rod.
2.Note the time it takes for the wax to melt along the length of each rod.

Explanation:
Metals will conduct heat efficiently, and you will observe that the wax melts rapidly along the length of the metal rods. This is because metals have high thermal conductivity, allowing them to transfer heat quickly through the material. The rod that conducts heat the fastest (wax melts quickly) indicates better heat conduction, demonstrating that metals are good conductors of heat.

b) Extraction of Mercury from Cinnabar (HgS):
Mercury is commonly extracted from its ore cinnabar (HgS) through a process called roasting followed by condensation. Here’s a simplified description of the extraction process:

1. Roasting:
Crush cinnabar ore (HgS) into a fine powder.
Heat the powdered ore strongly in the presence of air (roasting). The chemical reaction is as follows:

2HgS (s) + 3O2(g) → 2HgO(S) + 2SO2(g)

2. Condensation:
The roasted ore produces mercury oxide (HgO) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
Collect the vapor of mercury oxide and pass it through a cooling system.
Mercury vapor condenses to form liquid mercury, leaving sulfur dioxide as a byproduct.

3. Purification:
The condensed liquid mercury may undergo additional purification processes to remove impurities, such as distillation.

Overall Reaction:
2HgO(s) + Heat → 2Hg(l) + O2(g)

Note: The extraction of mercury from cinnabar involves heating the ore in the presence of oxygen, converting cinnabar into mercury oxide and releasing sulfur dioxide.
The vapor of mercury oxide is then condensed to obtain liquid mercury.
It’s important to note that the extraction of mercury from cinnabar should be carried out with caution, considering the toxicity of mercury and the need for proper safety measures.