Final answer:
To determine the number of moles of mercury formed when 1.20 moles of copper react with mercuric nitrate, you need to examine the balanced chemical equation. For every 2 moles of copper that react, 2 moles of mercury are formed. Therefore, if you have 1.20 moles of copper, you will also have 1.20 moles of mercury formed.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to determine the number of moles of mercury formed when 1.20 moles of copper react with mercuric nitrate, you need to examine the balanced chemical equation for the reaction. The balanced equation is:
2Cu + Hg(NO3)2 → 2Hg + 2Cu(NO3)2
From this equation, you can see that for every 2 moles of copper (Cu) that react, 2 moles of mercury (Hg) are formed. Therefore, if you have 1.20 moles of copper, you will also have 1.20 moles of mercury formed in the reaction.