Sodium chloride composition is one of the few substances that we all have a direct relationship with – it’s the white crystals that we sprinkle on our food to bring out its flavour. It is also an essential part of our bodies, it helps maintain a proper balance of fluids within the cells, but too much salt can cause hypertension and related health problems.
In their elemental form, sodium and chlorine are highly reactive chemicals. However, they become stable when they are bound together in a salt crystal. Salt is a chemical compound that consists of positively charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-). Sodium chloride has an average molecular weight of 287.
The Elemental Breakdown: Exploring the Composition of Sodium Chloride
The ionic structure of salts is unique compared to other inorganic compounds because the oppositely charged ions attract each other and form an ionic bond. This gives the crystalline structures that make up salts their characteristic shape. The three-dimensional arrangement of the ions in solid sodium chloride is called a face-centered cubic lattice.
It is produced when mining salt deposits and brine solutions are evaporated by the sun or by mechanical means (like water evaporation). It’s used in a wide range of industrial settings, for example to generate ion-exchange resins that remove calcium and magnesium ions from drinking water. It’s also a common ingredient of road salt, which is used to melt and remove ice from roads and sidewalks. Sodium chloride has also been used for thousands of years as a preservative in meats, cheeses and fermented foods like sauerkraut and kefir.