In iron(III) oxide, commonly known as Fe2O3, the oxidation state of iron is +3. This can be determined by analyzing the overall charge of the compound and the oxidation states of the other elements involved.
In Fe2O3, there are two iron (Fe) atoms and three oxygen (O) atoms. Oxygen typically has an oxidation state of -2. Therefore, the total oxidation contribution from the three oxygen atoms is:
3 (O) × -2 = -6
To keep the compound electrically neutral, the total oxidation state contributed by the two iron atoms must balance out this -6 charge. Let’s represent the oxidation state of iron as +x:
2 (Fe) × x + 3 (O) × -2 = 0
This simplifies to:
2x – 6 = 0
Solving for x gives us:
2x = 6
x = +3
Therefore, the oxidation state of iron in Fe2O3 is +3, which indicates that iron is in its +3 oxidation state, also known as the ferric state.