Final answer:
Sodium and chlorine combine in a synthesis chemical reaction to form stable sodium chloride (NaCl), releasing energy in the process. NaCl is unreactive and dissolves in water to form a solution with Na+ and Cl- ions.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the elements sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) are combined in a chemical reaction, they form sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt. The reaction between solid sodium metal and chlorine gas produces solid sodium chloride through a synthesis reaction, which can be written as 2 Na (s) + Cl2 (g) → 2 NaCl (s). During this reaction, sodium loses an electron becoming a sodium ion (Na+), and chlorine gains that electron becoming a chloride ion (Cl−). The process releases a significant amount of light and heat, indicating that energy is released during the bond formation.
Once formed, NaCl is a stable and mostly unreactive compound unlike its individual components. The compound's unreactivity is due to the stable ionic bond between the Na+ and Cl− ions. When dissolved in water, NaCl dissociates into its component ions, creating a homogeneous mixture known as a solution. The Na+ and Cl− ions become surrounded by water molecules, but they do not chemically react with the water.