Final answer:
Sodium and chlorine atoms form a stable compound, sodium chloride, through a chemical reaction where sodium loses an electron, becoming a cation, and chlorine gains an electron, becoming an anion, releasing energy and forming an ionic bond.
Step-by-step explanation:
When sodium and chlorine atoms combine to form a stable compound, the result is the formation of sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt. During this chemical reaction, the sodium atom, which is a metal, loses an electron to become a sodium ion (Na+). Conversely, the chlorine molecule, which is composed of two chlorine atoms, must first break down into individual atoms.
Each chlorine atom then gains an electron, forming a chloride ion (Cl-). This exchange of electrons due to the difference in electron affinities and ionization potentials between metals and nonmetals leads to the creation of ionic bonds. The sodium ion (Na+) and the chloride ion (Cl-) are then attracted to each other to form the ionic compound NaCl, with each ion achieving a stable electron configuration. This reaction releases a significant amount of energy in the form of light and heat, and results in a compound with vastly different properties from the highly reactive sodium metal and the toxic chlorine gas.