Knowing the names of molecules

[Bronson Mathos 1H]

Hello, I was just wondering if we are asked to balance a chemical reaction and the product is given in the form of a name such as iron(III) oxide, are we still going to be provided with the chemical formula as well , or do we have to know what the chemical formula is? And if not, how would I go about determining the formula of this oxide in particular?

[Josh Chou 3K]

For a compound like this, you could most likely figure out the formula by looking at the name. Iron (III) indicates that the iron has a charge of +3 and oxygen is usually charged at -2, so the formula for this particular iron oxide would be Fe₂O₃. However, I'm not sure if we will have to figure out more complicated molecules (i.e. ethylenediamine (aka "en") or ethylenediaminetetraacetate (aka "edta") ) or if we will be given their formulas

[Emily Widjaja 3A]

Hi Bronson,

I think for chem 14A, all the chemical formulas will be given in the question!

[Madison Rhynhart 3H]

Hi! I believe that in 14A we will be given the chemical equations to balance however I did notice that some book questions require we determine the chemical equation for ourselves before balancing, so it may be helpful to just do a quick review via Youtube or I am sure through our textbook!

[Matthew Vu 3C]

I don't think that the formula of compounds/molecules will always be provided. More specifically, there are polyatomic ions that I'm guessing we will have to have memorized—nitrate, sulfate, phosphate, etc. In the case of Iron (III) oxide, this means that the compound has iron and oxygen. The (III) refers to the charge of the iron. Therefore, iron has a charge of three. Oxygen has a charge of -2, so therefore, the compound would be Fe2O3.