What is the charge of iron in the iron oxide compound, Fe_2O_3?

1 Answer
May 19, 2017

3+

Explanation:

Iron(III) oxide is a neutral compound, which implies the net charge of the compound equals 0; i.e. the charges of all the atoms must add up to 0. Oxygen in nearly all cases has a charge of 2- (except for a few compounds such as potassium superoxide, KO_2), so the total ionic charge the O atoms exhibit is 3(-2) = -6. If two Fe atoms equalize this charge and make it neutral, the charge (oxidation state) of Fe in this compound must be 3+.