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Glite Dictionary
ferric oxide

ferric oxide

1 6.5
A red powder that forms on iron, often called rust
  • noun
  • /ˈfɛrɪk ˈaɪkaɪd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : óxido férrico
  • The rust on the old bicycle was primarily composed of ferric oxide.

Examples

  • The magnetic nanoparticles are usually iron-based compounds called ferric oxide, which is coated with a biocompatible surface, sometimes using, for example, fatty acids, to ensure stability during the transport of particles through the body.

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  • Ferric oxide is commonly used as a pigment in ferric oxide red paint.

  • In the laboratory, we analyzed a sample of ferric oxide to determine its purity.

Synonyms

hematite
vsferric oxide
  • Specialized
2 9.1

A reddish-black mineral people use to get iron

is the common red iron oxide used in pigments and polishing, often as rust

Surface Forms

ferric oxide singular
ferric oxides plural

Morphology

ferric + oxide

The term denotes an oxide of iron where 'ferric' specifies iron in the Fe3+ state and 'oxide' denotes a compound with oxygen, so the compound meaning (an iron oxide) is directly derivable from the constituents. This is a systematic, compositional chemical name (similar across languages, e.g. Spanish óxido férrico), so it is transparent to a learner who knows both component words, even if the vocabulary is technically specialized.

Etymology

Ferric oxide comes from word parts: ferric meaning 'iron' and oxide meaning 'oxygen', so it literally means iron joined with oxygen. This is the red 'rust' you see on old metal, and that's why the name refers to the red iron material used as a pigment and polish.