How is table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) different from the sodium and chloride ions that make it up?

• A. Table salt is a neutral compound formed by the combination of Na+ and Cl- ions, whereas the ions themselves carry electrical charges.
• B. Table salt is a covalent molecule, while the ions are held together by metallic bonds.
• C. Table salt contains only sodium ions, while the ions that make it up are both sodium and chloride.
• D. Table salt is a gas at room temperature, but the ions are solids.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that table salt (NaCl) is an ionic compound composed of sodium ions (Na\^+) and chloride ions (Cl\^-).
2. Recognize that the sodium ion carries a positive charge (Na\^+) and the chloride ion carries a negative charge (Cl\^-), meaning the ions themselves are charged species.
3. Know that when these ions combine in a 1:1 ratio, they form a neutral compound because the positive and negative charges balance each other out, resulting in electrically neutral table salt.
4. Distinguish between the ionic compound (NaCl) and the individual ions: the compound is neutral and held together by ionic bonds, whereas the ions are charged and exist separately in solution or molten state.
5. Eliminate incorrect statements by recalling that NaCl is not a covalent molecule, it contains both sodium and chloride ions, and it is a solid at room temperature, not a gas.