Final answer:
To name ionic compounds with metals that have multiple cation charges, determine the metal's charge and use Roman numerals to denote it, resulting in names like iron(II) chloride for FeCl2 and iron(III) chloride for FeCl3.
Step-by-step explanation:
When dealing with ionic compounds composed of metals that can form more than one type of cation, it's essential to correctly determine the charge of the cation to name the compound accurately. Transition metals often exhibit a variable charge, making the use of Roman numerals necessary to specify the ionic charge in the compound's name.
For instance, the compound FeCl2 contains iron with a 2+ charge, leading to its name as iron(II) chloride. In contrast, FeCl3 has iron with a 3+ charge and is named iron(III) chloride. The numeral in parentheses after the metal's name corresponds to the metal's oxidation state.
The name of a binary ionic compound includes the name of the metal cation followed by the base name of the nonmetal anion with an 'ide' suffix. Correctly naming these compounds helps in distinguishing between different ionic forms that a single metal can exhibit.