Question

(a) What is the type of bonding expected in a metallic chloride?
(b) If fused metallic chloride is electrolysed, at which electrode would the metal be obtained?
(c) What metallic property is shown by the non-metal graphite?

Answer 1

(a) Ionic bonding (or electrovalent bonding) is expected in metallic chlorides. Metals transfer their excess electrons to non-metals that are electron deficient. Thus, both attain stability and form an ionic or electrovalent bond. Example: in sodium chloride, sodium donates its one extra electron to chlorine. Therefore, sodium loses one electron and chlorine gains one electron, attaining stability in the process and forming an ionic bond.

(b) Fused metal chloride contains free ions: metal cations and chloride anions. If fused metal chloride is electrolysed, the positively charged metal ions (cations) are attracted towards the cathode (negatively charged electrode). These metal ions obtain electrons from the cathode and get reduced to metal atoms. Example: During the electrolysis of fused sodium chloride, sodium ions are attracted to the cathode. These ions get electrons from the cathode and get reduced to sodium atoms.
At cathode: ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}+e^{-}\stackrel{}{\to }\mathrm{Na}$

(c) Even though graphite (an allotrope of carbon) is a non-metal, it is a good conductor of electricity. Thus, graphite conducts electricity and resembles a metal in terms of its electrical conductance.