classify the compound as having ionic, polar covalent, or pure covalent bonds.
Sb2P5
I know that a metal and nonmetal form an ionic bond, and two nonmetals form covalent bonds. The trouble I am having is that Sb is a metalliod and when it forms with a non-metal, what kind of bond is formed?
Sb has an electronegativity of 2.05 and that of P is 2.19. The arbitrary rule is that a difference of about 1.9 or so makes it ionic; less than that is covalent or polar covalent. The two elements are so close together I think you have a good case for almost pure covalent.
A bond between a metalloid and a nonmetal can have characteristics of both ionic and covalent bonds. In the case of Sb2P5 (antimony pentaphosphide), antimony (Sb) is a metalloid and phosphorus (P) is a nonmetal. Antimony typically forms covalent bonds with elements like phosphorus. So, Sb2P5 would predominantly exhibit polar covalent bonds due to the electronegativity difference between antimony and phosphorus.
To determine the type of bond in a compound, you need to consider the electronegativity difference between the elements involved. Electronegativity is a measure of an atom's ability to attract electrons towards itself.
In general, if the electronegativity difference between the elements is high (above 1.7), the bond is considered ionic. If the electronegativity difference is between 0.4 and 1.7, the bond is considered polar covalent. And if the electronegativity difference is less than 0.4, the bond is considered pure covalent.
Now, let's examine the compound Sb2P5. Sb represents the element antimony, which is a metalloid, and P represents the element phosphorus, which is a nonmetal. To determine the type of bond, we need to compare their electronegativities.
The electronegativity of antimony (Sb) is 2.05, and the electronegativity of phosphorus (P) is 2.19. The electronegativity difference between Sb and P is only 0.14, which is less than 0.4. Therefore, the bond in Sb2P5 is considered pure covalent.
In summary, the compound Sb2P5 has pure covalent bonds because it is formed between a metalloid (antimony) and a nonmetal (phosphorus), and the electronegativity difference between the elements is less than 0.4.