Which statement best describes a compound such as sodium chloride (NaCl) in terms of ionic bonding?

• A. It is made of neutral sodium and chlorine atoms weakly attracted by London dispersion forces.
• B. It is composed of a lattice of ions formed when sodium transfers an electron to chlorine, producing $N^a+$ and $C^l-$ held together by electrostatic attraction.
• C. It is a metallic solid in which sodium and chlorine atoms are held together by a sea of delocalized electrons.
• D. It consists of discrete molecules in which sodium and chlorine share electrons equally in a nonpolar covalent bond.

Answer: (B)