Chemistry of Sodium Chloride

Also known as NaCl, sodium chloride is a compound most commonly found in our society as ordinary table salt. Iodized table salt that we usually consume usually contains small amounts of potassium iodide, sodium carbonate, and sodium thiosulfate to prevent from lumping and other impurities.

Salt is soluble in water and in other liquids either slightly soluble or insoluble.

In the picture above, common table salt (NaCl) is added to a burning mixture of potassium chlorate and sucrose.  This creates an orange/yellowish color to be let off. Click on the website below to see more interesting reactions with salt mixtures.

Salt can be described as a small, transparent to white, cubic crystal.  It is odorless, yet has a distinct taste.

When dissolved in water, the NaCl ions move freely which can conduct electricity.  It can be seperated into sodium and chlorine by sending an electric current through it.

www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Na/key.html

It is an ionic compound which is made up of an equal amount of negatively charged Cl atoms and positively charged Na atoms. In the picture above, you'll see that the symbol next to the Na is a positive sign, showing the positively charged ion where as there is a negative sign next to the Cl showing the negatively charged Cl ion.