Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is classified as a polar covalent compound due to the nature of the bond between hydrogen and chlorine. While HCl dissociates into H+ and Cl- ions in solution, the bond itself does not meet the criteria for ionic bonding, which requires complete electron transfer. The discussion emphasizes the importance of electronegativity differences, which, while significant, do not solely determine the bond type in HCl.
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