Question

the ionic compound fepo₄ is used as a pesticide to kill slugs and snails. what is its name? refer to a periodic table and a list of polyatomic ions. its name is

Explanation:

• For ionic compounds, the name is formed by stating the cation first and then the anion.
• Fe is iron. Since iron can have multiple oxidation states (it is a transition metal), we need to determine its charge.
• The phosphate ion (\(PO_{4}^{3 -}\)) has a charge of - 3. In a neutral compound, the sum of the charges of cations and anions is zero. Let the charge of Fe be \(x\). For the compound \(FePO_{4}\), we have \(x+( - 3)=0\), so \(x = + 3\).
• When naming ionic compounds with transition metals that have variable oxidation states, we use Roman numerals to indicate the oxidation state of the metal.
• The anion \(PO_{4}^{3 -}\) is named phosphate.

Answer:

Iron(III) phosphate