Final answer:
Sodium and chlorine produce sodium chloride through the formation of ions due to their ionization potential and electron affinity, leading to ionic bonding with completely different properties from the individual elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
The periodic property that enables sodium and chlorine to produce sodium chloride is their ability to form ions with opposite charges due to their ionization potential and electron affinity, respectively. Sodium atoms tend to lose one electron to form sodium cations (Na+), as it is a metal with low ionization potential situated on the left of the periodic table.
Chlorine atoms, being nonmetals with high electron affinity found on the upper-right corner of the periodic table, gain one electron to form chloride anions (Cl-). When sodium cations and chloride anions come together, they form the ionic compound sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt, via a combination reaction where solid sodium reacts with chlorine gas.
The resulting table salt has properties distinct from its constituent elements. While sodium is a highly reactive metal and chlorine is a poisonous gas, sodium chloride is stable, non-reactive in nature, and vital for life. This transformation from reactive elements to a stable compound is a testament to the transformative power of ionic bonding between elements with differing periodic properties.