Among the following given chlorides, covalent in nature is

Options

A. `MgCl_2`
B. `CaCl_2`
C. `BeCl_2`
D. `BaCl_2`

Answer

To determine which of the given chlorides is covalent in nature, we need to analyze the properties of the metals involved and their corresponding chlorides. Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Identify the Metals
First, we need to identify the metals in the given chlorides. The question mentions that all the metals are from the second group of the periodic table, which includes:
- Beryllium (Be)
- Magnesium (Mg)
- Calcium (Ca)
- Strontium (Sr)
- Barium (Ba)

### Step 2: Understand Polarizing Power
Next, we need to understand the concept of polarizing power. Polarizing power refers to the ability of a cation to distort the electron cloud of an anion. Smaller cations with higher charge density have greater polarizing power.

### Step 3: Analyze the Size of Cations
As we move down the group from Beryllium to Barium, the size of the cations increases:
- Beryllium (Be²⁺) is the smallest.
- Barium (Ba²⁺) is the largest.

### Step 4: Compare Polarizing Power
Since Beryllium is the smallest cation, it has the highest polarizing power. This means that Beryllium chloride (BeCl₂) is more covalent in nature compared to the other chlorides because it can distort the electron cloud of the chloride ion more effectively.

### Step 5: Conclusion
Among the given chlorides, Beryllium chloride (BeCl₂) is the most covalent in nature due to the high polarizing power of the small Beryllium cation.

### Final Answer
The chloride that is covalent in nature is **Beryllium Chloride (BeCl₂)**.

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