if a question does ever ask for you to draw out the shape, you indicate a dative covalent bond by an arrow pointing from the atom donating the electrons to the atom it's being donated to

Reply 6

Yazomi

Oooo I think if one of the surrounding atoms is an ion that would work out

Reply 7

xsowmix

Original post by sara.m12

Yeh but I can’t figure out how to show it for nh4cl

there is a dative covalent bond in nh4+ but nh4cl as a whole molecule is ionic because the bonding between nh4+ and cl-

hopefully that makes more sense

Reply 8

sara.m12

Original post by xsowmix

there is a dative covalent bond in nh4+ but nh4cl as a whole molecule is ionic because the bonding between nh4+ and cl-

hopefully that makes more sense

Is it possible if you could draw it out?
R u saying that N donates both electrons to one of the + hydrogens? If so I get that but the cl- is confusing me. Does cl have an extra electron?

Reply 9

sara.m12

Original post by xsowmix

there is a dative covalent bond in nh4+ but nh4cl as a whole molecule is ionic because the bonding between nh4+ and cl-

hopefully that makes more sense

is this correct?

Screenshot 2021-04-15 141623.jpg66.1KB

Reply 10

xsowmix

Original post by sara.m12

is this correct?

no it shld look like this

so basically the nitrogen atom in nh3 donates an electron to a hydrogen atom hence forming a dative covalent bond
this leads to that hydrogen atom transferring one of its electrons to chlorine which forms an ionic bond