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Iron oxides are compounds composed of iron and oxygen. They are prevalent in various forms and are known for being the key components in rust and ores. In this exercise, we are dealing with two specific types of iron oxides: ferrous oxide (FeO) and ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃). These oxides have distinct properties and chemical behaviors.

- **Ferrous Oxide (FeO):** In this formulation, iron has an oxidation state of +2. This compound is often found in mineral form and is less stable than its counterpart, Fe₂O₃.
- **Ferric Oxide (Fe₂O₃):** Here, iron takes an oxidation state of +3. This is known as hematite in nature and is more stable than ferrous oxide. It typically appears as a red-brown solid in its natural form.
Iron oxides are pivotal in various industrial applications, particularly in metallurgy, where they are used to extract iron metal. Recognizing these compounds and their properties is crucial to understand the transformation processes in chemical reactions.

Chemical reactions involve the transformation of reactants into products. In terms of stoichiometry, each reaction can be expressed mathematically to reflect the conservation of mass. In this task, both iron oxides need to be converted into pure iron.

To break it down, the reactions involve using hydrogen ions to reduce the iron oxides:

• For **FeO**, the reaction can be expressed as: - \[ \mathrm{FeO} + 2H^+ \rightarrow \mathrm{Fe}^{2+} + \mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \]
• For **Feâ‚‚O₃**, the reaction is: - \[ \mathrm{Fe}_2\mathrm{O}_3 + 6H^+ \rightarrow 2\mathrm{Fe}^{3+} + 3\mathrm{H}_2\mathrm{O} \]

These reactions show how the oxides are reduced to elemental iron under acidic conditions. The stoichiometry allows us to calculate how much pure iron results from each starting compound by balancing atoms and charges in the reactions.

Molar mass, typically expressed in grams per mole, is an essential aspect of stoichiometry. It enables us to convert between grams and moles, which is critical in chemical calculations. In this problem, knowing the molar mass of each iron oxide allows us to determine how much pure iron they contribute to the final product.

Let's explore this closely:

• **FeO has a molar mass of 71.85 g/mol:** It includes 55.85 g/mol of iron, which signifies roughly 78% of the compound is pure iron. This high percentage means a significant portion of FeO contributes directly to the iron metal produced.
• **Feâ‚‚O₃'s molar mass is 159.7 g/mol:** This compound contains two iron atoms, each with a weight of 55.85 g/mol, leading to about 70% of its mass being iron. This lower percentage compared to FeO demonstrates its relatively lesser contribution to pure iron for the same mass.

Calculating the mass of iron from each oxide necessitates converting their given concentrations to moles and then back to mass using these molar relationships. Understanding these conversions is vital for solving stoichiometry problems efficiently.