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Chemistry Question on Chemical bonding and molecular structure

Which among the following is correct decreasing order of covalent character of ionic bond?

A

NaCl > MgCl2 > AlCl3

B

AlCl3 > NaCl > MgCl2

C

AlCl3 > MgCl2 > NaCl

D

MgCl2 > NaCl > AlCl3

Answer

AlCl3 > MgCl2 > NaCl

Explanation

Solution

The covalent character in an ionic bond is determined by the difference in electronegativity between the atoms involved. When the electronegativity difference is small, the ionic bond tends to have more covalent character.
In the given options, aluminum chloride (AlCl3) has the highest covalent character because aluminum (Al) and chlorine (Cl) have a relatively small electronegativity difference. Magnesium chloride (MgCl2) has a slightly higher electronegativity difference than AlCl3, but still less than sodium chloride (NaCl).
Therefore, the decreasing order of covalent character is AlCl3 > MgCl2 > NaCl.
Option (C) AlCl3 > MgCl2 > NaCl represents the correct decreasing order of covalent character of the ionic bond among the provided options.