I apologize in advance for my ignorance ...trying to self-teach myself chemistry....anyway, here it goes:
If solid mercury (II) oxide is written HgO, then why is the balanced equation 2HgO

2Hg + O
2 ?
Why cant it just be HgO

Hg + O...is it because oxygen is diatomic? HgO has a single atom of each in the compound correct?