What is the charge of iron in the following complex: [Fe(H2O)6]Cl2 ?

When attempting to answer a question about complexes, you need to think about three things: the identity of the metal (and its oxidation number), type of ligand (i.e. if it's neutral like H2O or has a negative charge like Cl-, if it's monodentate or polydentate) and the charge of the whole complex.Let's start from the end: charge of the complex isn't stated so you need to figure it out from the counter-ion, which is chloride, Cl-. In order to balance the charge of 2 chloride ions (-1 each), we need a +2 charge, so this is the charge of the complex. The type of ligand in this case is just water, a neutral molecule (i.e. its charge = 0). Therefore, if the whole complex has a charge +2 and the ligand has charge 0, it means that the +2 charge comes from the metal: Fe 2+.

Answered by Chemistry tutor

19303 Views

See similar Chemistry IB tutors

Related Chemistry IB answers

All answers ▸

Which compound is a member of the same homologous series as 1-chloropropane? A. 1-chloropropene B. 1-chlorobutane C. 1-bromopropane D. 1,1-dichloropropane


What happens to the equilibrium constant of an endothermic reaction, that is in equilibrium, when the temperature increases? What would the effect of increasing pressure have on the reaction and on the value of Kc?


What factors affect the rate of a reaction?


Explain why successive ionization energies of an element increase and how they account for the existence of three main energy levels in the sodium atom


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning