What kinds of compounds are sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking to identify the type of chemical compounds that sodium chloride (NaCl), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), and potassium chloride (KCl) belong to. These are common chemical compounds, and the question is straightforward in its request.
Answer
These compounds are ionic compounds.
Sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride are all ionic compounds. They are formed through ionic bonds between metal and non-metal elements.
Answer for screen readers
Sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride are all ionic compounds. They are formed through ionic bonds between metal and non-metal elements.
More Information
Ionic compounds are formed through the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. In these compounds, a metal atom (sodium, magnesium, or potassium) loses one or more electrons to a non-metal atom (chlorine), forming positively charged cations and negatively charged anions, respectively. These ions are then held together by their opposite charges, creating the ionic compound.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse ionic compounds with molecular compounds. Ionic compounds involve a transfer of electrons and electrostatic attraction, while molecular compounds involve sharing of electrons.
Sources
- 3.5: Ionic Compounds- Formulas and Names - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
- Sodium Chloride | ClNa | CID 5234 - PubChem - pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Ionic Compounds | manoa.hawaii.edu/ExploringOurFluidEarth - manoa.hawaii.edu
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