* Ionic Compounds: These compounds are formed by the electrostatic attraction between positively charged ions (cations) and negatively charged ions (anions).

* In CaCl₂:

* Calcium (Ca) is a metal and tends to lose two electrons to form a +2 cation (Ca²⁺).

* Chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal and tends to gain one electron to form a -1 anion (Cl⁻).

To balance the charges, one calcium ion (Ca²⁺) combines with two chloride ions (2Cl⁻) to form the compound CaCl₂.