What is the correct name for the ionic compound formed between beryllium and chlorine?

• A. Beryllium chlorate
• B. Beryllium dichloride
• C. Beryllium chloride
• D. Beryllium(II) chloride

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements involved: beryllium (Be) is a metal and chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal, so they form an ionic compound.
2. Determine the charges of the ions: beryllium typically forms a +2 charge (Be^{2+}), and chlorine forms a -1 charge (Cl^{-}).
3. Balance the charges to form a neutral compound: since Be^{2+} has a +2 charge and Cl^{-} has a -1 charge, two chloride ions are needed to balance one beryllium ion, giving the formula BeCl_{2}.
4. Name the compound by stating the metal first, followed by the nonmetal with its ending changed to '-ide': thus, the name is 'beryllium chloride'.
5. Note that since beryllium has only one common oxidation state (+2), there is no need to use Roman numerals in the name, so 'beryllium(II) chloride' is unnecessary.