To determine whether carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is ionic or covalent, we need to consider the nature of the bonding between the atoms involved.
1. Analyze the elements involved:
- Carbon (C) is a nonmetal.
- Chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal.
2. Determine the type of elements:
- Compounds formed between nonmetals typically result in covalent bonding.
- When nonmetals bond, they tend to share electrons to achieve a full valence shell, which is characteristic of covalent bonds.
3. Electronegativity consideration:
- If there is a significant difference in electronegativity between the bonded atoms (usually a difference of 1.7 or more), the bond is typically ionic.
- In the case of CCl₄, the electronegativity difference between carbon (2.55) and chlorine (3.16) is 0.61, which indicates a covalent bond rather than an ionic bond.
4. Nature of CCl₄:
- Carbon tetrachloride is made up of one carbon atom covalently bonded to four chlorine atoms, forming a tetrahedral structure.
- This sharing of electrons confirms that the bonds are covalent.
Therefore, carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is covalent.
