Concept:
Table salt, commonly used in food, is chemically known as
sodium chloride. It is an ionic compound formed by the combination of sodium (\(Na\)) and chlorine (\(Cl\)).
In sodium chloride, sodium loses one electron to form a positive ion (\(Na^+\)), and chlorine gains one electron to form a negative ion (\(Cl^-\)). These oppositely charged ions attract each other to form an ionic bond.
Step 1: Identify the chemical composition.
Table salt consists of
sodium and
chlorine, forming the compound
NaCl.
Step 2: Eliminate other options.
- KCl is potassium chloride.
- CaCl$_2$ is calcium chloride.
- Na$_2$SO$_4$ is sodium sulfate.
Thus, the chemical formula for common table salt is
NaCl.