What is the formula for sodium chloride?

1 Answer
David Drayer
May 30, 2018

The formula for Sodium Chloride is # NaCl#
This is a unit formula not a compound formula.

Explanation:

Sodium Chloride for forms an ionic bond. The electron density is separated into mainly a positive charge on the Sodium and a negative charge on the Chorine. This means that the Sodium is attracted to all the Chlorine atoms around it not just one. The cubic crystal forms means that each Sodium is joined to six Chlorine atoms by the positive electro static charges of the Sodium atom being attracted to the negative electro static charges of the Chlorines above, below in front behind, to the right and to the left...
Chlorine experience the same type of attraction to six Sodium atoms.

The simplest ratio of the Sodium to Chlorine atoms is 1:1 so the formula for Sodium Chloride is # NaCl#. This is not a molecular formula but a unit formula.

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