When halogens react with metals, they form salts called __________. What completes the sentence?

When halogens react with metals, they form salts called halides.

Halides encompass a broad category of ionic compounds formed when a halogen (such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, or astatine) reacts with a metal. In this interaction, the halogen, which is highly electronegative, gains an electron from the metal. This electron transfer leads to the formation of negatively charged halide ions and positively charged metal ions. The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in the formation of an ionic bond, creating halide salts. Common examples of halides include sodium chloride (NaCl), which is formed from the reaction between sodium (a metal) and chlorine (a halogen), and magnesium bromide (MgBr₂), resulting from the reaction of magnesium with bromine.