Complete the chemical name of the compound CoI3

Complete the chemical name of the compound CoI3

The Correct Answer and Explanation is:

The chemical name for the compound CoI₃ is Cobalt(III) iodide.

Explanation:
Cobalt (Co) is a transition metal that can have different oxidation states. In this case, the oxidation state of cobalt is +3.

The Iodine (I) element in this compound is a halogen, which typically has an oxidation state of -1 when it forms ionic compounds.

The compound CoI₃ is an ionic compound, where cobalt ions (Co³⁺) are paired with iodide ions (I⁻). Since each iodide ion has a charge of -1, three iodide ions are needed to balance the +3 charge of the cobalt ion, resulting in a neutral compound.

The Roman numeral (III) in the name indicates the oxidation state of cobalt, which is +3 in this case. This is crucial because cobalt can have multiple oxidation states, and using the Roman numeral ensures clarity about which specific ion is being referred to.

In summary, Cobalt(III) iodide is the correct name for CoI₃, indicating that cobalt has a +3 charge, and iodine is in the -1 state as iodide ions. The compound is formed through ionic bonding, where the positive cobalt ions and negative iodide ions are attracted to each other to form a neutral structure.

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