Why is sodium chloride (NaCl) a good example of ionic bonding?

• A. NaCl forms from Na+ and Cl- in an ionic lattice; transfer of electrons.
• B. Sodium and chlorine share electrons equally.
• C. Na+ binds to Cl- by covalent bond.
• D. NaCl is composed of neutral atoms held by metallic bonding.

Answer: (A)

Ionic bonding happens when a metal transfers electrons to a non-metal, forming ions that are held together by strong electrostatic attraction. Sodium has one electron in its outer shell, while chlorine needs one more to complete its octet. Sodium donates its outer electron to chlorine, becoming Na+, and chlorine becomes Cl-. The opposite charges attract, pulling the ions into a regular, repeating arrangement called an ionic lattice. This explains why compounds like NaCl have high melting points and why they conduct electricity only when melted or dissolved (ions can move). It isn’t a covalent bond, which would involve sharing electrons, nor is it metallic bonding, which involves a lattice of neutral atoms with a sea of delocalized electrons.