Which chemical formula represents ferric chloride?

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Multiple Choice

Which chemical formula represents ferric chloride?

Ferric chloride comes from iron in the +3 oxidation state combined with chloride ions each carrying a -1 charge. To balance a +3 charge, you need three chloride ions, giving FeCl3. Other formulas would imply iron in different oxidation states (FeCl2 is iron(II); FeCl suggests iron(I); Fe2Cl3 would require a fractional oxidation state for iron), which don’t match the ferric (Fe3+) compound. So the correct formula is FeCl3.

Ferric chloride comes from iron in the +3 oxidation state combined with chloride ions each carrying a -1 charge. To balance a +3 charge, you need three chloride ions, giving FeCl3. Other formulas would imply iron in different oxidation states (FeCl2 is iron(II); FeCl suggests iron(I); Fe2Cl3 would require a fractional oxidation state for iron), which don’t match the ferric (Fe3+) compound. So the correct formula is FeCl3.

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