Question

Predict whether the following chlorides are ionic or covalent:

a) KCl
b) NCl₃
c) ICl
d) MgCl₂

Answer 1

KCl and MgCl2 are ionic compounds, while NCl3 and ICl are covalent compounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

To predict whether the following chlorides are ionic or covalent, we look at the types of atoms involved and their positions on the periodic table:

• KCl: Potassium (K) is a metal and chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal. Compounds between metals and nonmetals are typically ionic. Therefore, KCl is ionic.
• NCl₃: Nitrogen (N) and chlorine (Cl) are both nonmetals. Compounds between nonmetals are typically covalent. Therefore, NCl₃ is covalent.
• ICl: Iodine (I) and chlorine (Cl) are also both nonmetals. So ICl is covalent.
• MgCl₂: Magnesium (Mg) is a metal and chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal. This compound is ionic.