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what is Fe2O3? how is it formed?

Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Fe2O3. It is one of the three main oxides of iron, the other two being iron(II) oxide (FeO), which is rare, and iron(II,III) oxide (Fe3O4), which also occurs naturally as the mineral magnetite. As the mineral known as hematite, Fe2O3 is the main source of the iron for the steel industry. Fe2O3 is ferromagnetic, dark red, and readily attacked by acids. Iron(III) oxide is often called rust.
Iron (III) oxide is a product of the oxidation of iron. It can be prepared in the laboratory by electrolyzing a solution of sodium bicarbonate, an inert electrolyte, with an iron anode:

    4 Fe + 3 O2 + 2 H2O ? 4 FeO(OH)

The resulting hydrated iron(III) oxide, written here as Fe(O)OH, dehydrates around 200 °C.[6][7]

    2 FeO(OH) ? Fe2O3 + H2O

It can also be prepared by the thermal decomposition of iron (III) hydroxide under temperature above 200 °C.

    2 Fe(OH)3 ? Fe2O3 + 3H2O


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