Which of the following statement(s) is/are incorrect regarding chloride of iron?a)Iron chloride is back at anhydrous condition.b)It sublimes at 300°C and forms a dimer.c)It is an oxidising agent.d)It is ether soluble but water insoluble.Correct answer is option 'D'. Can you explain this answer?

Question

Answer

This problem is based on various properties of iron chlorides. To solve this problem, students must have the knowledge of solubility of iron chloride in aqueous solution, the existence of iron chloride in ether solution, oxidising properties of iron chloride.

Properties of iron chloride

(i) FeCl₃ (Iron chloride) is back coloured in anhydrous conditions. But its hydrated form is yellowish-brown.

(ii) FeCl₃ sublimes at 300°C3 to give a dimer.

(iii) FeCl₃ is water-soluble as well as ether soluble due to solvation.

(iv) It is an oxidising agent, during oxidation. The yellow colour of aqueous Fe (III) changes to light green aqueous Fe (II).

Answer

This problem is based on various properties of iron chlorides. To solve this problem, students must have the knowledge of solubility of iron chloride in aqueous solution, the existence of iron chloride in ether solution, oxidising properties of iron chloride.

Properties of iron chloride

(i) FeCl₃ (Iron chloride) is back coloured in anhydrous conditions. But its hydrated form is yellowish-brown.

(ii) FeCl₃ sublimes at 300°C3 to give a dimer.

(iii) FeCl₃ is water-soluble as well as ether soluble due to solvation.

(iv) It is an oxidising agent, during oxidation. The yellow colour of aqueous Fe (III) changes to light green aqueous Fe (II).

Answer

This problem is based on various properties of iron chlorides. To solve this problem, students must have the knowledge of solubility of iron chloride in aqueous solution, the existence of iron chloride in ether solution, oxidising properties of iron chloride.

Properties of iron chloride

(i) FeCl₃ (Iron chloride) is back coloured in anhydrous conditions. But its hydrated form is yellowish-brown.

(ii) FeCl₃ sublimes at 300°C3 to give a dimer.

(iii) FeCl₃ is water-soluble as well as ether soluble due to solvation.

(iv) It is an oxidising agent, during oxidation. The yellow colour of aqueous Fe (III) changes to light green aqueous Fe (II).

Answer

This problem is based on various properties of iron chlorides. To solve this problem, students must have the knowledge of solubility of iron chloride in aqueous solution, the existence of iron chloride in ether solution, oxidising properties of iron chloride.

Properties of iron chloride

(i) FeCl₃ (Iron chloride) is back coloured in anhydrous conditions. But its hydrated form is yellowish-brown.

(ii) FeCl₃ sublimes at 300°C3 to give a dimer.

(iii) FeCl₃ is water-soluble as well as ether soluble due to solvation.

(iv) It is an oxidising agent, during oxidation. The yellow colour of aqueous Fe (III) changes to light green aqueous Fe (II).

Answer

Incorrect statement: d) It is ether soluble but water insoluble.

Explanation:

- Iron chloride is back at anhydrous condition: This statement is incorrect. Iron chloride exists in multiple forms, including the anhydrous form and various hydrated forms. Anhydrous iron chloride (FeCl3) is a dark brown crystalline solid. However, it is more commonly encountered as the hydrated form, such as the hexahydrate (FeCl3•6H2O) or the tetrahydrate (FeCl3•4H2O). These hydrated forms contain water molecules within their crystal structures.

- It sublimes at 300°C and forms a dimer: This statement is correct. Iron chloride sublimes, which means it converts directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid state. The sublimation temperature of iron chloride is approximately 300°C. Upon sublimation, it forms a dimer, Fe2Cl6, in the vapor phase. This dimer dissociates back into monomeric FeCl3 when cooled.

- It is an oxidising agent: This statement is correct. Iron chloride is a strong oxidizing agent. It readily accepts electrons from other substances, leading to its reduction and the oxidation of the other substance. For example, in the presence of water, iron chloride can oxidize ferrous ions (Fe2+) to ferric ions (Fe3+). This reaction involves the transfer of electrons from Fe2+ to FeCl3, resulting in the reduction of FeCl3 and the oxidation of Fe2+.

- It is ether soluble but water insoluble: This statement is incorrect. Iron chloride is highly soluble in water, especially in its hydrated forms. When dissolved in water, it forms an acidic solution due to the hydrolysis of the iron chloride. On the other hand, iron chloride is generally insoluble in ether. Ether is a nonpolar solvent, and iron chloride is a polar compound. Polar compounds tend to be more soluble in polar solvents like water rather than nonpolar solvents like ether.

In summary, the correct answer is option 'D' because iron chloride is soluble in water but generally insoluble in ether.

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