Which of the following is predominantly an ionic compound?

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Question restatement: Which of the following is predominantly an ionic compound? Options: SeCl2, PCl3, (NH4)2SO4, SO2, None of these.
Option 1: SeCl2. This is a compound formed from a nonmetal (selenium) and a halogen (chlorine). Such compounds are typically covalent molecules with shared electrons and do not form a lattice of oppositely charged ions. Therefore, SeCl2 is not predominantly ionic.
Option 2: PCl3. Phosphorus trichloride is another example of a covalent compound between nonmetals. It exists as discrete molecules with covalent bonds rather than an ionic lattice, so it is not predominantly ionic.
Option 3: (NH4)2SO4. Ammonium sulfate consists of the ammonium cation (NH4+) and the sulfate anion (SO4^2−). This ionic pairing forms an ionic solid with strong electrostatic interactions between ions and a crystalline lattice. When dissolved, it dissociates into ions, enabling conductivity in solution, which is characteristic of ionic compounds.
Option 4: SO2. Sulfur dioxide is a small, covalently bonded molecule (S=O with lone pairs on O and S). It lacks the full ionic lattice structure typical of ionic compounds, making it a covalent oxide rather than ionic.
Option 5: None of these. Given that at least one option clearly corresponds to an ionic compound (the salt formed from ammonium and sulfate), this choice would be inconsistent with the properties of (NH4)2SO4 and the general behavior of the others. 
Overall, distinguishing features include lattice formation and dissociation into ions for ionic compounds, contrasted with discrete covalent molecules for covalent compounds. The ammonium sulfate option uniquely exhibits those ionic characteristics among the list.

Which of the following is predominantly an ionic compound?

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