The red form of HgO can be made by heating Hg in oxygen at roughly 350 °C, or by pyrolysis of Hg(NO3)2.[5] The yellow form can be obtained by
precipitation of aqueous Hg2+ with alkali.[5] The difference in color is due to particle size, both forms have the same structure consisting of near
linear O-Hg-O units linked in zigzag chains with an Hg-O-Hg angle of 108°.[5]
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