[16ARTER]

Can someone please explain why the 'bonding in gaseous hydrogen halides is best described as mainly covalent with an increasing tendency towards ionic as you go up the group'

thanks,

[EierVonSatan]

Think about the polarisation of the halide anions

[16ARTER]

(Original post by EierVonSatan)
Think about the polarisation of the halide anions

So does it mean that as you go down the group the degree of covalency increases due to the size of the anion increasing down the group, meaning that the distortion of the anion is greater. When you go up the group the anion size decreases, therefore the degree of covalency decreases so bonding becomes more ionic?

[EierVonSatan]

That's the jist of it

[16ARTER]

Thanks for the help

[BJack]

(Original post by EierVonSatan)
That's the jist of it

Really?
Is it not simply a case of more balanced electronegativity between H and X reducing partial charges?

[EierVonSatan]

(Original post by BJack)
Really?
Is it not simply a case of more balanced electronegativity between H and X reducing partial charges?

You can take two sort of views...assume everything is ionic and explain increasing covalency or assume everything is covalent and explain increasing ionic character