[treelove]

we haven't learned about redox or titration and this is an assignment that we're supposed to do independently within a month or so. everyone has a different question and mine is:
using reduction-oxidation titration, find the molecular formula of an unknown iron compound.

we need to research it on our own and everything but i don't want to start a lab without knowing exactly what i'm doing. i know that reduction is gaining an electron and oxidation is losing an electron, not much more about that though. i'm still not sure exactly what titration means.
i get an unlimited supply of this unknown iron compound so i can run as many tests as needed.
i have a few ideas, will somebody help steer me along the right path?
1. run the permanganate experiment to find out the percent of iron in the sample. but then i'm not sure how to find what other elements are in the compound. will my left over be what i perform further experiments on?
or
2. split up the compound in a solution (of acid maybe? how would i do this?) and add something like carbon that can bond to the O2 and form carbon dioxide gas which i can measure.
or
3. do some other experiment to measure the percent of oxygen in the compound (assuming there is oxygen). then on a new piece find the percent of iron. if the 2 percents don't add up to be around 100, i'll have to test for some other element

any ideas? this is my first year of chemistry, i'm in 10th grade so i don't know much. we've only covered stoichiometry, some calorimetry, thermochemistry, etc. Nothing that can really help me with the project though.

any help is greatly appreciated.

[Arkcon]

Well, lets start with what you know.  Can you give us some examples of red-ox reactions between some reagents, and some possible iron compounds?  What will happen to iron, in a compound, when you oxidize/reduce it?

[treelove]

Well, lets start with what you know.  Can you give us some examples of red-ox reactions between some reagents, and some possible iron compounds?  What will happen to iron, in a compound, when you oxidize/reduce it?

i really don't know much of anything about this. my instinct reaction is to say that iron rusts when it oxidizes? i don't know why. some possible compounds i can think of: Fe2O3, Fe(OH)2, ferrocyanide...
no examples of red-ox reactions, i don't even know for sure what a red-ox reaction is.
again, sorry i have almost no knowledge of this. i'm just trying to at least learn the basics so i have an idea of what i'm supposed to be doing.

[Borek]

Red-ox reaction is the one in which something is being oxidized and something is being reduced. In fact, if something is being oxidized (reduced), you can be sure there is a redox reaction taking place, as reduction and oxidation have to occur simultaneously.

Google for iron determination with permanganate titration, plenty information on the web.

[treelove]

Ok i found an experiment i can do to find the percent of iron in the sample, but how will i find the compound? the rest won't necessarily be oxygen, right?