Final answer:
The oxidation states of iron, Fe, are determined by its electron configuration. When Fe loses two electrons, it forms Fe²+ with an electron configuration of 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶3d⁶. When Fe loses three electrons, it forms Fe³+ with an electron configuration of 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶3d⁵.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oxidation states of iron, Fe, can be explained using its electron configuration. The electron configuration of Fe is 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶4s²3d⁶.
When Fe loses two electrons to form Fe²+, these electrons are removed from the 4s orbital, leading to the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶3d⁶. On the other hand, when Fe loses three electrons to form Fe³+, these electrons are removed from both the 4s and 3d orbitals, resulting in the electron configuration 1s²2s²2p⁶3s²3p⁶3d⁵.