Question

Why does salt form when sodium and chlorine react?

Answer 1

Reaction of Sodium and Chlorine:

• When Sodium and chlorine react together, a salt i.e. Sodium chloride$\left(\mathrm{NaCl}\right)$ is formed.
• The chemical reaction can be depicted as:

$\underset{\left(\mathrm{Sodium}\right)}{2\mathrm{Na}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}+\underset{\left(\mathrm{Chlorine}\right)}{{\mathrm{Cl}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}\to \underset{\left(\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{chloride}\right)}{2\mathrm{NaCl}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$

Formation of sodium chloride$\left(\mathrm{NaCl}\right)$

• The outer shell of the sodium atom has one electron and the outer shell of the chlorine atom has seven electrons.
• When they react, the sodium atom gives up an electron to a chlorine atom which makes sodium a positive ion and chlorine a negative ion.
• Both ions have a complete electron shell. Strong electrostatic attraction governs the formation of an ionic lattice between these two ions.