Final answer:
SiCl4 and PCl3 are covalent compounds as they are formed between nonmetals. CaCl2 and CuCl2 are ionic compounds because they consist of metals and nonmetals.
Step-by-step explanation:
Predicting whether chlorides are ionic or covalent involves looking at the types of atoms involved. Generally, ionic compounds form between metals and nonmetals, while covalent compounds form between nonmetals.
SiCl4: Silicon (Si) is a metalloid, and chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal. SiCl4 is a covalent compound because the bonding is between nonmetals.
PCl3: Phosphorus (P) is a nonmetal, and Cl is a nonmetal. PCl3 is a covalent compound since both are nonmetals.
CaCl2: Calcium (Ca) is a metal, while Cl is a nonmetal. CaCl2 is an ionic compound because it is formed between a metal and a nonmetal.
CuCl2: Copper (Cu) is a metal, and Cl is a nonmetal. CuCl2 is an ionic compound because it consists of a metal cation and a nonmetal anion.