Question

Is AgCl ionic?

Answer 1

We should look at the type of bond formed by the compound to comment on the character shown by the molecules. Some atoms lose and gain their electrons to form charged species which involve bonding and some share their electrons to form covalent bonds.

Complete step-by-step answer: From the lower classes we are studying about various compounds and their properties. The properties possessed by the compounds depends on the type of bonds present between the atoms and the atoms present in the molecules and its interactions.
A chemical bond is formed between the atoms either by sharing or by loss or gain of electrons. And depending on the way the bonds are compounds are classified into many.
Some atoms gain or accept electrons from other atoms and form a negatively charged species called anions, whereas in some atoms they lose their electrons and form positively charged species called cations. A negatively charged ion and positively charged ion combine together and form bonds, i.e. an anion and a cation combine with each other to form a chemical bond. The force that keeps the bond intact is the force of attraction between these oppositely charged ions, i.e. the electrostatic force of attraction prevails between the ions.
And the bond formed between the oppositely charged species is the ionic bond.
Now lets us check the case of AgCl. We know that Ag belongs to transition metal group and many oxidation states are possibly for transition metals, but Ag possess only +1 oxidation state and exists as$A{{g}^{+}}$, whereas Cl which belongs to group 17 or VIIA group has 7 valence electrons and need only one electron to complete its octet configuration.
The Ag shares its one electron with Cl.
Ag gives one electron and exists as $A{{g}^{+}}$and the Cl accepts the electron and exists as $C{{l}^{-}}$.The oppositely charged ions will have electrostatic force of attraction and forms an ionic bond between the charged species. Hence AgCl is ionic in nature and referred as an ionic compound.

Note: The bonds formed between the atoms which have electronegativity difference greater 1.7 will be ionic and polar in nature. A metal and a non-metal atom forms an ionic bond whereas atoms with less electronegativity will form covalent bonds. The sharing of electrons between the atoms will result in a covalent bond. If the pair of electrons present in the atom is contributed by one atom only then that type of bonding is called as coordinate bonds.