Question

What happens when the compound NaCl is formed?

A. Sodium transfers an electron to chlorine.
B. Sodium receives two electrons from chlorine.
C. Sodium forms an ion with −1 charge and chlorine forms an ion with +1 charge.
D. Sodium forms an ion with +2 charge and chlorine forms an ion with −2 charge

Answer 1

Answer: The correct answer is Option A.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sodium is the 11th element of the periodic table having electronic configuration of
`[Ne]3s^1`

This element will loose 1 electron in order to attain stability and will form
`Na^+` ion.

Chlorine is the 17th element of the periodic table having electronic configuration of
`[Ne]3s^23p^5`

This element will gain 1 electron in order to attain stability and will form
`Cl^-` ion.

These two elements form ionic compound by transferring of electrons from sodium atom to chlorine atom.

Hence, the correct answer is Option A.

Answer 2

A

Step-by-step explanation:

This kind of bond is known as an ionic bond and is based on electrostatic forces between two charged molecules/atoms. To achieve stable configuration, sodium (2.8.1) transfers its valence electron to chlorine that also needs one electron to achieve stable configuration (2.8.8), and combine in an ionic bond.