Sodium chloride is an ionic compound while carbon tetrachloride is a covalent compound . Define by using electronegativity values.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Answer:
Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound because the difference in electronegativity between sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) is large, about 2.1. In contrast, carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a covalent compound because the difference in electronegativity between carbon (C) and chlorine (Cl) is small, about 0.5.
Explanation:
Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom to attract electrons in a chemical bond. The greater the difference in electronegativity between two atoms, the more likely the bond is to be ionic. If the difference is small, the bond is usually covalent.
In sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium has an electronegativity of about 0.9, while chlorine has an electronegativity of about 3.0. The difference between them is 2.1. This is a large difference, which means chlorine strongly attracts the electron that sodium gives up. As a result, sodium loses one electron to become a positively charged ion (Na⁺), and chlorine gains one electron to become a negatively charged ion (Cl⁻). The bond formed is due to the electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions, which is characteristic of ionic bonds.
In carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), carbon has an electronegativity of about 2.5, and chlorine has an electronegativity of 3.0. The difference is only 0.5, which is considered small. This means that the atoms share electrons fairly equally. Because no complete electron transfer occurs and both atoms contribute to the bond, the bond is covalent. Each chlorine atom shares one electron with the carbon atom, forming four covalent bonds.
Therefore, sodium chloride is ionic due to a large electronegativity difference, while carbon tetrachloride is covalent due to a small electronegativity difference. This demonstrates how electronegativity values help determine the type of bond in a compound.
