Strontium carbonate a mineral, strontium carbonate is prepared synthetically in one of two manners. First of which is from naturally occurring celestine also known as strontium sulfate (SrSO) or by using soluble strontium salts by the reaction in solution with a soluble carbonate salt (usually sodium or ammonium carbonates). For example if sodium carbonate was used in solution with strontium nitrate: Sr(NO) + NaCO → SrCO + 2 NaNO . The most common use is as an inexpensive colorant in fireworks. Strontium and its salts emit a brilliant red color in flame. Unlike other strontium salts, the carbonate salt is generally preferred
Mercury(II) nitrate made by reacting hot concentrated nitric acid with mercury metal, under these conditions, the nitric acid is an oxidizing agent. Dilute nitric acid would produce mercury(I) nitrate. Mercuric nitrate is used in mercuration reactions. In particular, it is used in reactions involving ketones. One of the chemicals which it is most effective with is acetone. This reaction uses mercuric nitrate, mercuric oxide, and calcium sulfate to change acetone, which is CHC(O)CH, into CHC(O)CHHg. Acetone is a compound for which most other methods of mercuration prove ineffective. The mercuric nitrate compound works because it is a strong oxidizing agent. In addition,