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Sodium chloride / ˌ s oʊ d i ə m ˈ k l ɔːr aɪ d /, [8] commonly known as edible salt, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chlorine ions. It is transparent or translucent, brittle, hygroscopic, and occurs as the mineral halite. In its edible form, it is commonly used as a condiment ...
In chemistry, a salt or ionic compound is a chemical compound consisting of an assembly of positively charged ions and negatively charged ions , [1] which results in a compound with no net electric charge (electrically neutral). The constituent ions are held together by electrostatic forces termed ionic bonds.
When sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) are combined, the sodium atoms each lose an electron, forming cations (Na +), and the chlorine atoms each gain an electron to form anions (Cl −). These ions are then attracted to each other in a 1:1 ratio to form sodium chloride (NaCl). Na + Cl → Na + + Cl − → NaCl
This driving force is what causes sodium and chlorine to undergo a chemical reaction, wherein the "extra" electron is transferred from sodium to chlorine, forming sodium cations and chloride anions. Being oppositely charged, these cations and anions form ionic bonds and combine to form sodium chloride, NaCl, more commonly known as table salt.
Inorganic chloramines are produced by the reaction of ammonia and hypochlorous acid or chlorine. An urban legend claims that mixing household bleach (aqueous sodium hypochlorite) with ammonia-based cleaners releases chlorine gas or mustard gas; in reality, the gas produced by the reaction is a mixture of inorganic chloramines.
In compounds, sodium is usually ionically bonded to water and anions and is viewed as a hard Lewis acid. [25] Two equivalent images of the chemical structure of sodium stearate, a typical soap. Most soaps are sodium salts of fatty acids. Sodium soaps have a higher melting temperature (and seem "harder") than potassium soaps. [24]
The term chloride refers to a compound or molecule that contains either a chlorine anion (Cl −), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond (−Cl). Many inorganic chlorides are salts. Many organic compounds are chlorides.
The simplest chlorine compound is hydrogen chloride, HCl, a major chemical in industry as well as in the laboratory, both as a gas and dissolved in water as hydrochloric acid. It is often produced by burning hydrogen gas in chlorine gas, or as a byproduct of chlorinating hydrocarbons.