Question

The actual formula of sodium chloride is:

• A. $NaCl$
• B. $N{a}^{+}C{l}^{-}$
• C. $(N{a}^{+}C{l}^{-}{)}_n$
• D. $N{a}_{n}C{l}_n$

Answer 1

The correct option is C $(N{a}^{+}C{l}^{-}{)}_n$

Sodium chloride has no molecular formula and only empirical formula because sodium chloride is not a molecule.

Like all salts, sodium chloride is made of a regular arrangement of anions and cations one next to another. There is no limit to how big this salt can be and there is no clear "end" to the lattice. Thus sodium chloride is not a molecule. We can have the empirical formula -1:1 ratio of the different elements. For every sodium ion there is a chloride ion. So the empirical formula for sodium chloride is $\left(N{a}^{+}C{l}^{-}\right)n$.