When naming an ionic compound that contains the Fe^{2+} cation, how should the cation be named?

• A. Iron(III)
• B. Iron(II)
• C. Ferrous(III)
• D. Ferric

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the charge on the iron cation given in the problem, which is Fe^{2+}.
2. Recall that iron can have multiple oxidation states, commonly +2 and +3, and these are indicated in the name of the cation.
3. Understand that the Roman numeral in parentheses after the element name indicates the oxidation state of the metal cation in the compound.
4. Since the charge on the iron cation is +2, the correct way to name it using the Stock system is Iron(II).
5. Note that older naming conventions use 'ferrous' for Fe^{2+} and 'ferric' for Fe^{3+}, but the modern IUPAC system prefers Iron(II) and Iron(III).