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Why is SnCl₄ not classified as a salt?

a. It is a weak electrolyte.
b. It is a solid at room temperature.
c. It does not contain a metal cation and an anion.
d. It does not dissolve in water.

User Kinjal
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

d. It does not dissolve in water.

SnCl4 is not classified as a salt because it is made up of covalent bonds rather than ionic bonds. Salts are characterized by their ionic bonding between metal cations and nonmetal anions, which SnCl4 does not exhibit.

Step-by-step explanation:

SnCl4 is not classified as a salt because, unlike salts, which are made up of ionic bonds, SnCl4 is covalently bonded. Salts are composed of metal cations and nonmetal anions that come together to form ionic compounds.

SnCl4, however, consists of a tin atom covalently bonded to four chlorine atoms, which does not fit the criteria for a salt.

In the case of a salt such as NaCl dissolving in water, it dissociates into ions that can conduct electricity; this is typical behavior for a salt with ionic character, but SnCl4 does not exhibit such properties because it is not an ionic compound.

User Muhammad Shahzad
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