Question

What is the name of $FeC{{l}_{2}}$?

Answer 1

Hint: The nomenclature of chemical compounds is done according to the norms set by IUPAC. A compound that is composed of cations and anions is an ionic compound. An ionic compound has the name of the cation that is the positive ion is written first, and then the name of the anion, the negative ion is written after the cation.

Complete answer:
A chemical compound is named on the basis of the atoms present in that compound. Ionic compounds are the compounds that are formed when transfer of electrons occur from one atom to another. These compounds are formed between a metal and a non – metal. For the naming of ionic compounds, the cation, which has a positive charge, is named first, and then the anion, which is the negative charge containing ion, is named after the cation.
We have been given$FeC{{l}_{2}}$which has iron and chlorine. As we know iron is an element of the transition metals fromd block, so it is a metal that converts into a cation, while chlorine is the non – metal halogen that takes 1 electron to convert into chloride anion.
So, the name will be in the manner that iron will come first and then chlorine in the form of chloride, as iron chloride.
Now, looking for the valence of iron, we have chlorine with a charge of -1, and is present in a quantity of 2. So,
Fe + 2(Cl) = 0
Fe + 2(-1) = 0
Fe = +2
So, iron is present with the charge of 2, and the name becomes ferrous chloride, or iron (II) chloride.
Hence, the name of the compound $FeC{{l}_{2}}$ is iron (II) chloride or ferrous chloride.

Note:
As we know transition metals have variable oxidation states, so they are named with a roman numeral in brackets after the metal to indicate their oxidation state. Iron has two charges +2 and +3 which is named as ferrous and ferric respectively. The name of the negative ion in any ionic compound changes and has ‘ide’ in the end. So, chlorine becomes chloride.