[bstapes99]

What is the chemical symbol for Iron (II) Sulfate Hexahydrate? I'm supposed to find the percent composition, but I don't know the ratios in this molecule. Could something help and possibly give a general rule for three part chemicals?

[eggles]

FeSo₄.8H₂O

[Guitarmaniac86]

FeSo₄.8H₂O

Tis a bit wrong. Hexa denotes 6 therefore it is FeSO₄.6H₂O

[bstapes99]

Thanks for the *delete me* I missed the hydrate being H2O; I was thinking hydride.
Are there naming rules for compounds like this? For example, if there were 2 sulfates, would the new compound be Iron (II) Bisulfate Hexahydrate or something like that?

[Guitarmaniac86]

Yes there are rules that about nomenclature.

In your example, if there are two sulphates, you would lose two waters so it would be [Fe(SO₄)₂)].4H₂O

The overall charge is therefore on the complex would be 2- and would be named:

Tetraaquadisulphateferrate(II)

The rules are the following:

1. Cation is named first
2. Ligands named before the metal
3. Ligands named in alphabetical order
4. Negatively charged ligands have the suffix -O
5. Most neutral ligands keep name of free molecule (water is named aqua and NH₃ is named ammine)
6. If there are more than one of a ligand, the ligand is prefixed with mono di tri tetra etc depending on the number of the ligand.
7. Complicated ligands such as EDTA are treated as negative ligands and have the suffix -ato
8. If there are more than one of a complicated ligand, they are prefixed by bis for two tris for three tetrakis for 4 etc
9. Cationic complexes have the oxidation state of the metal at the end (Eg hexaamminecobalt (III))
10. The anion is named next
11. If the complex is an anion, the suffix -ate is used. (Iron becomes ferrate and copper becomes cuprate but other trans metals use -ate eg titanium become titanate).
12. Neutral complexes named in one word: triamminetrinitrocobalt(III)
13. Bridged ligands denoted by the letter mu and is repeated before each bridging ligand.

I have a feeling that you do not need to know all of that, but in answering your question, yes there are rules in naming complexes and it is hard and I am sure I have named the complex [Fe(SO₄)₂)].4H₂O, wrong.

Edit:

I assume you know how to work out the percentage composition now that you have the formula?

[Rudi]

The overall charge is therefore on the complex would be 2- and would be named:

Tetraaquadisulphateferrate(II)

rather Disulfatotetraaquairon(II)

Sulfate as a ligand ends on "o" and negatively charged ligands are mentioned at first. Furthermore, the complex is not a "ferrate", since it's not an anionic complex.

It should be noted that the complex nomenclature is commonly not used for such compounds. I would denote it just as iron(II) sulfate tetrahydrate and everbody knows what is meant.

[bstapes99]

Ya that's more answer than I need for my class right now, but thanks for the instructions!