Is HCl purely covalent or does it have ionic properties in water?

[Yomna]

Hey
Can someone explain to me how pure hcl is covalent, and what happens when it is dissolved in water? I know it conducts electricity. But I am a bit lost

 

[GCT]

Can someone explain to me how pure hcl is covalent

Is it really covalent? Consider the electronegativites.

For the second part, you should be able to locate a picture in your text, which shows the ordered arrangement of water molecules around the H+ and Cl-, HCl is a strong electrolyte in water at room temperature.

 

[nmondal]

There is nothing called a pure Covalent..compound.

Nothing is purely covalent.
Only the molecules are.

Think of HCl as:--
H-Cl, with Cl having the bonding electron cloud closer to it.
In water, the picture is that due to fact that
$$H^+ + Cl^-$$ is of low energy, so it is stable in the solution, rather than the undivided molecules.