Some of the Group 2 metal halides are covalent and soluble in organic solvents. Among the following metal halides, the one which is soluble in ethanol is

Options

A. `BeCl_(2)`
B. `MgCl_(2)`
C. `CaCl_(2)`
D. `SrCl_(2)`

Explanation

To solve the question regarding which Group 2 metal halide is soluble in ethanol, we will follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the nature of the solvents
Ethanol is an organic solvent that is covalent in nature. In general, covalent compounds tend to dissolve well in other covalent solvents. This means that for a metal halide to be soluble in ethanol, it should have a significant covalent character.

**Hint:** Remember that "like dissolves like" – covalent compounds dissolve in covalent solvents.

### Step 2: Analyze the Group 2 metal halides
Group 2 metal halides include compounds such as:
- Beryllium chloride (BeCl2)
- Magnesium chloride (MgCl2)
- Calcium chloride (CaCl2)
- Strontium chloride (SrCl2)
- Barium chloride (BaCl2)

We need to determine the covalent character of these halides.

**Hint:** Consider the size and charge of the metal ions when assessing covalent character.

### Step 3: Identify the covalent character of the halides
Among the Group 2 metal halides, beryllium halides (especially BeCl2) are known to exhibit significant covalent character due to the small size of the beryllium ion and its high effective nuclear charge. This results in a stronger attraction between the beryllium ion and the chloride ions, leading to covalent bonding.

**Hint:** Smaller metal ions with higher charges tend to form more covalent bonds.

### Step 4: Compare the solubility in ethanol
Since ethanol is a covalent solvent, we look for the halide with the most covalent character. Beryllium chloride (BeCl2) is known to be more covalent compared to the other Group 2 metal halides. Therefore, it is more likely to be soluble in ethanol.

**Hint:** Focus on the halide that has the highest covalent character for solubility in organic solvents.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Based on the analysis, the Group 2 metal halide that is soluble in ethanol is **Beryllium chloride (BeCl2)**.

**Final Answer:** The metal halide that is soluble in ethanol is **Beryllium chloride (BeCl2)**.