Q.Formula for the compound sodium hexacyanoferrate (III) is
Concept understanding — IUPAC Nomenclature of Coordination Compounds
IUPAC's 2005-recommendation system for naming coordination compounds, replacing the old discoverer-based names (Zeise's salt, Magnus's green salt). The master rule: name the cation first, then the anion, regardless of whether either is simple or itself complex.
Within a complex ion, name every ligand first (alphabetically, ignoring multiplying prefixes), THEN the central metal. Ligand names: anionic ligands end in '-o' (chlorido, cyanido, oxalato); neutral ligands mostly keep their molecular name except H₂O (aqua), CO (carbonyl), NH₃ (ammine) and NO (nitrosyl); an ambidentate ligand carries a κ-term showing its actual donor atom (nitrito-κN vs nitrito-κO). Multiple identical ligands get a Greek numeral prefix (di, tri, tetra...), or bis/tris/tetrakis if the ligand's own name already contains a Greek-derived syllable (as in ethane-1,2-diamine).
Central-metal naming: in a cationic or neutral complex the metal keeps its ordinary element name (chromium, iron, cobalt); in an anionic complex it takes an '-ate' suffix, often on a shortened stem (ferrate, cuprate, argentate, plumbate, aurate). The metal's oxidation state is always given as a Roman numeral in parentheses immediately after its name, found by solving Net charge = oxidation state + Σ(ligand count × ligand charge) for the unknown.
Worked pattern (K₄[Fe(CN)₆]): potassium (simple cation) + hexacyanido-κC (6 CN⁻, anionic, carbon-donor) + ferrate (Fe in an anionic complex) + (II) (from x + 6(-1) = -4) = Potassium hexacyanido-κC ferrate(II). Formula-writing from a name reverses this process exactly.
Fe(III) with 6 CN- gives the complex ion [Fe(CN)6]3-, which needs three Na+ counter ions to balance its -3 charge.
(d) Na3[Fe(CN)6]
Step 1. Build the complex ion. 'Hexacyanoferrate(III)' means six cyano (CN-) ligands on iron in the +3 oxidation state, i.e. [Fe(CN)6].
Step 2. Find its charge. Charge number = O.S.(Fe) + sum of ligand charges =+3+6×(−1)=+3−6=−3. So the complex ion is [Fe(CN)6]3-.
Step 3. Balance with sodium counter ions. Each Na+ carries +1, so three Na+ are needed to balance the -3 charge, giving Na3[Fe(CN)6].
(d) Na3[Fe(CN)6]
Building the complex ion from the IUPAC name, computing its charge via charge number = O.S. + ligand charges, then balancing with the required number of counter ions
- Forgetting to multiply the -1 charge of CN- by six ligands.
- Assuming only one Na+ is needed (as if the complex ion were only -1 charged, option (c)).
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The correct structure of complex having IUPAC name sodium hexanitrocobaltate (III) is(a) Na3[Co(NO2)5](b) Na4[Co(NO2)6](c) Na3[Co(NO2)6](d) Na4[Co(NO2)5]
›Reveal solutionSolution
Co3+ + 6 NO2− gives a −3 complex ion, balanced by 3 Na+: Na3[Co(NO2)6].
'Hexanitrocobaltate(III)' tells us the complex ion contains Co in the +3 oxidation state, coordinated to 6 nitrito (NO2−) ligands: [Co(NO2)6].
Charge on the complex ion =(+3)+6×(−1)=−3, i.e. [Co(NO2)6]3−.
To balance this −3 charge, 3 Na+ counter-ions are needed, giving the neutral salt Na3[Co(NO2)6].
✓Final answer(c) Na3[Co(NO2)6]
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.IUPAC name of the complex K3[Al(C2O4)3] is :(a) Potassium trisoxalato aluminate (III)(b) Potassium trioxalato aluminium (III)(c) Potassium trioxalato aluminate (III)(d) Potassium trioxalato aluminate (II)
›Reveal solutionSolution
K3[Al(C2O4)3]'s complex ion is anionic, so IUPAC naming requires: cation named first (potassium), ligand named with multiplying prefix and 'o' ending (trioxalato), then the metal name with the '-ate' suffix (aluminate) and its oxidation state in Roman numerals, (III).
Determine the oxidation state of Al: each oxalato ligand (C2O42−) carries a −2 charge; with 3 of them, total ligand charge =−6. The complex ion charge is −3 (balanced by 3 K+ outside). So x+(−6)=−3⇒x=+3, i.e. Al(III).
Apply IUPAC naming rules for coordination compounds: (i) name the cation (potassium) first, then the anion (the complex); (ii) ligands are named in alphabetical order with a multiplying prefix — oxalate as a ligand is named 'oxalato', and with three of them the prefix 'tri-' is used (giving 'trioxalato'); (iii) since the complex ion is an anion, the metal's name takes the suffix '-ate': aluminium becomes 'aluminate'; (iv) the oxidation state of the metal is given in Roman numerals in parentheses immediately after the metal name: (III). Assembling: Potassium trioxalato aluminate (III).
Option (a) wrongly uses 'tris' (reserved for more complex/polysyllabic ligand names, not the simple 'oxalato'). Option (b) fails to add the '-ate' suffix for the anionic complex ('aluminium' instead of 'aluminate'). Option (d) has the wrong oxidation state, (II) instead of the correct (III).
✓Final answerThe correct answer is (c) Potassium trioxalato aluminate (III) — the anionic Al complex with three oxalato ligands and Al in the +3 oxidation state.
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The correct formula of a complex having IUPAC name Tetraamminedibromoplatinum (IV) bromide is _______.(a) [PtBr(NH3)4]Br2(b) [PtBr2(NH3)4]Br(c) [PtBr2(NH3)4]Br2(d) [PtBr(NH3)4]Br
›Reveal solutionSolution
Pt(IV) + 4 neutral NH3 + 2 Br− ligands gives a +2 complex cation, balanced by 2 outer Br− ions.
'Tetraamminedibromoplatinum(IV) bromide': the coordination sphere contains 4 ammine (NH3, neutral) ligands and 2 bromo (Br−) ligands around Pt4+, so the complex ion is [PtBr2(NH3)4].
Charge on complex ion = (oxidation state of Pt) + (charge from ligands) =(+4)+(2×−1)=+2.
This +2 complex cation, [PtBr2(NH3)4]2+, is balanced by 2 bromide counter-ions outside the coordination sphere (named last, 'bromide'):
[PtBr2(NH3)4]Br2
✓Final answer(c) [PtBr2(NH3)4]Br2
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The correct formula for the complex compound, sodium hexacyanoferrate (III) is _____.(a) Na[Fe(CN)6](b) Na2[Fe(CN)6](c) Na3[Fe(CN)6](d) Na4[Fe(CN)6]
›Reveal solutionSolution
Iron(III) with 6 cyanide ligands gives a −3 complex ion, needing three sodium ions to balance charge.
Sodium hexacyanoferrate(III) has iron in the +3 oxidation state (Roman numeral III) coordinated to 6 cyanide (CN−) ligands. Charge on the complex ion: (+3)+6(−1)=−3, i.e. [Fe(CN)6]3−. To make a neutral salt, 3 sodium ions are required: Na3[Fe(CN)6].
✓Final answer(c) Na3[Fe(CN)6]
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