Let's analyze the given information, which is about how similar the compounds formed with chlorine are to potassium chloride (KCl). The goal is to identify which element forms a compound most like and least like potassium when combined with chlorine.
1. Understand the comparison:
We are given a table with different elements (sodium, nitrogen, magnesium, beryllium) and have to determine their similarity to potassium when combined with chlorine.
2. Formatting the table headings:
[tex]\[
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}
\hline
& \text{sodium} & \text{nitrogen} & \text{magnesium} & \text{beryllium} \\
\hline
\text{most similar to potassium} & 0 & 0 & 0 & O \\
\hline
\text{least similar to potassium} & 0 & O & 0 & O \\
\hline
\end{array}
\][/tex]
According to the table:
- Most similar to potassium (denoted by 'O'): The element that forms a compound with chlorine that is most similar to potassium chloride (KCl) is beryllium.
- Least similar to potassium (denoted by 'O'): The element that forms a compound with chlorine that is least similar to potassium chloride is nitrogen.
3. Detailed reasoning:
- Beryllium (Index: most_similar) is most similar: When comparing how beryllium and potassium form their respective chlorides, they might be having similar bonding or properties making BeCl₂ more comparable to KCl.
- Nitrogen (Index: least_similar) is least similar: Nitrogen's compound with chlorine is typically not similar in form to KCl. Nitrogen forms NCl₃ (Nitrogen trichloride), which has different bonding and properties compared to KCl, thus being the least similar.
Final Answer:
- Most similar to potassium: Beryllium (denoted by index 0 in most_similar)
- Least similar to potassium: Nitrogen (denoted by index 1 in least_similar)
In conclusion, the element that forms a compound with chlorine most similar to potassium is beryllium, and the one that forms a compound least similar to potassium is nitrogen.
