Properties of Iron Oxide
Properties
Historical Background
General Information
References
Compound Name: Ferrous
Oxide
Formula: FeO
Molar Mass: 71.8 g
Melting Point: 1370°C
Boiling Point: N/A
Density: 5.7 g/cm3
Other
Properties
Natural Color: Black
Appearance at room
temperature: Solid crystalline substance
Structure
The iron and
oxide ions in iron oxide are bonded with ionic bonds, making iron oxide a salt.
There is a 1:1 ratio of iron ions to oxide ions, and being a salt, iron oxide
does not have individual molecules, but forms geometrically, with all of the
ions bonded with electrostatic forces. In the crystals formed, there is much
more than one ion of iron and one ion of oxide bonded, rather there are many of
each ion, always in a 1:1 ratio for the compound FeO, as seen in the diagram below:
Percentage Composition by
mass:
%Fe- 77.7%Fe
%O -
22.3%O
Percentage Composition by
number:
%Fe- 50.0%
%O -
50.0%
Fe::O (double bond)
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