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ferrous vs. ferric

ferrous vs. ferric: What's the difference?

Ferrous and ferric both describe something made of or containing iron, with ferrous the more common adjective. In chemistry, the distinction between the endings -ic and -ous is utilized generally to refer to a higher (-ic) or lower (-ous) valence. Therefore, ferrous refers to iron having two valences, and ferric refers to it with three.

ferrous

[ fer-uhs ]
adjective
  1. of or containing iron, especially in the bivalent state.

ferric

[ fer-ik ]
adjective
  1. of or containing iron, especially in the trivalent state.