Which of these is a covalent compound?
Responses
LiCl
upper case L lower case i upper case C lower case l,
MgO
upper case M lower case g upper case O,
CO
upper case C O,
AlCl3
CO (carbon monoxide) is the covalent compound out of these options.
CO (carbon monoxide) is a covalent compound.
To determine which of these compounds is covalent, we need to analyze the elements present in each compound.
Covalent compounds are formed when nonmetal atoms share electrons. So, our task is to identify the nonmetal elements among the given compounds.
Let's analyze each compound:
1. LiCl:
Li represents the element lithium (Li), which is a metal.
Cl represents the element chlorine (Cl), which is a nonmetal.
Since LiCl contains a metal and a nonmetal, it is an ionic compound, not a covalent compound.
2. MgO:
Mg represents the element magnesium (Mg), which is a metal.
O represents the element oxygen (O), which is a nonmetal.
Again, MgO contains a metal and a nonmetal, so it is an ionic compound, not a covalent compound.
3. CO:
C represents the element carbon (C), which is a nonmetal.
O represents the element oxygen (O), which is also a nonmetal.
Since both elements in CO are nonmetals, this compound is covalent.
4. AlCl3:
Al represents the element aluminum (Al), which is a metal.
Cl represents the element chlorine (Cl), which is a nonmetal.
Similarly, AlCl3 contains a metal and a nonmetal, making it an ionic compound and not a covalent compound.
Therefore, the only compound among the given options that is covalent is CO.