Final answer:
The compound ICl contains polar covalent bonds with a partial negative charge on the Cl atoms due to chlorine's higher electronegativity, which causes unequal sharing of electrons in the bond.
Step-by-step explanation:
The compound ICl contains polar covalent bonds, with a partial negative charge on the Cl (chlorine) atoms. This occurs because the electrons in the bond are not shared equally; they are more attracted to the atom with higher electronegativity, which in this case is chlorine. Thus, the proper answer to the question is that ICl contains polar covalent bonds with partial negative charges on the Cl atoms.
Chlorine (Cl) being more electronegative than iodine (I) pulls the shared electron pair closer to itself, creating a partial negative charge (indicated by δ-) on the Cl atom, and a corresponding partial positive charge (δ+) on the I atom. Since the electronegativity difference between iodine and chlorine falls between 0.5 and 2.0, the bond is classified as polar covalent. This is in contrast to nonpolar covalent bonds where the electron density is symmetrical due to equal sharing of electrons, as seen in a molecule like Cl₂.