What is the common oxidation state of iron in Fe2O3? (2019)

What is the common oxidation state of iron in Fe2O3? (2019)

Step 1: Identify the chemical formula, which is Fe2O3.
Step 2: Recognize that Fe represents iron and O represents oxygen.
Step 3: Know that oxygen typically has an oxidation state of -2.
Step 4: Since there are 3 oxygen atoms in Fe2O3, calculate the total oxidation state contributed by oxygen: 3 * (-2) = -6.
Step 5: There are 2 iron (Fe) atoms in the formula. Let the oxidation state of iron be x.
Step 6: Set up the equation for the total oxidation states: 2x + (-6) = 0.
Step 7: Solve the equation: 2x - 6 = 0, which simplifies to 2x = 6.
Step 8: Divide both sides by 2 to find x: x = 3.
Step 9: Conclude that the common oxidation state of iron in Fe2O3 is +3.

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