Final answer:
Silver chloride is classified as an ionic compound because it is formed from the metal silver which loses electrons to become Ag+, and the nonmetal chlorine, which gains electrons to become Cl-. The force that holds these oppositely charged ions together is known as an ionic bond, and this type of compound tends to have specific physical properties such as high melting points and the ability to conduct electricity when dissolved in water.
Step-by-step explanation:
Silver chloride is an ionic compound because it is composed of a metal (silver) and a nonmetal (chlorine). In ionic compounds, metals tend to lose electrons and become positively charged cations, while nonmetals tend to gain electrons and become negatively charged anions. Silver loses one electron to become Ag+, while chlorine gains one electron to become Cl-. The ionic bond is the electrostatic force of attraction between these oppositely charged ions.
Compounds like silver chloride have distinctive properties due to ionic bonding. They form crystalline structures, are rigid and brittle, and have high melting points. While they are poor conductors of electricity in their solid state because the ions are not free to move, they conduct electricity when dissolved in water or melted, allowing the ions to move freely.
In silver chloride (AgCl), silver (Ag) is the transition metal and has an oxidation state of +1, while chlorine (Cl) has an oxidation state of -1, hence Ag+ and Cl- combine to form a compound without an overall charge, maintaining electrical neutrality.