[Hwork]

Is the resulting compound an ionic or molecular compound?
For example, would iron (iii) chlorite Fe(ClO2)2, or chromium (iii) nitrate Cr(NO3)3, be considered ionic compounds or molecular compounds?
Would I be correct in assuming these would be ionic compounds because they are between a transition metal and a polyatomic ion?

Any answers in helping to clear this up for me would be greatly appreciated.

[cliverlong]

Your scenario is discussed in this article.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion

[renge ishyo]

It depends. If you are asking does something like "free" Cr³⁺ (free Cr³⁺ is really [Cr(H₂0)₆]³⁺ in water) float around in solution completely separate of anions like NO₃^- like we depict when we have NaCl become "free" Na⁺ (free Na⁺ is really [Na(H₂0)₆]⁺ in water) and "free" Cl^- ions that float around independently of each other or if the two species involved in the formula remain "connected" in water, then it depends on whether or not the transition metal binds more strongly with the ligand or with H₂0 (ignoring entropy effects). Here is an example written showing an equilibrium for a transition metal in water:

[Cu(H₂0)₆]²⁺ + 4 NH3 (aq)   [Cu(NH3)₄(H20)₂]²⁺ + 4H₂0       Keq = 1 x 10¹³

Originally before adding NH₃, Cu²⁺ is "free" in solution because it binds to H₂0 stronger than its original anion (which is a spectator ion that binds weakly to Cu²⁺ and isn't shown in the equation). However, when we react this free Cu²⁺ with NH₃, the result is that the transition metal now becomes part of a complex cation [Cu(NH3)₄(H20)₂]²⁺ in aqueous solution as opposed to being by itself in solution.