How can a sodium atom form a compound with a chlorine atom?

Answer 1

All elements try to either lose or gain enough electrons to form a stable octet (except hydrogen, which can both gain and lose one electron).

Na has one valence electron. It is easier to lose one electron than to gain seven.
Cl has seven valence electrons. It is easier to gain one electron than to lose seven.

When the two elements come together, Na transfers its only valence electron to Cl, so that both are stable octets. Since Na now has ten electrons and eleven protons, it has a charge of 1+. Since Cl has eighteen electrons and seventeen protons, it has a charge of 1-. Opposite charges attract, so this attraction is what keeps the two atoms together. The force of attraction between atoms in ionic bonds is weak, but the attraction between molecules is very strong. These molecules form organized structures called crystal lattices. That is why NaCl (table salt) grains are cubes.

This process defines "ionic bond." To be an ionic bond, it must consist of at least one metal and at least one non-metal.

Answer 2

Sodium, symbol Na, can easily form a bond with a chlorine, symbol Cl, because of the octet rule and desire for stability. Bonds happen to "please" the atom and to follow the octet rule, which states that an atom will lose/gain/share their valence electrons to achieve a full (eight) valence electron shell. Sodium has ONE valence electron and Chlorine has SEVEN valence electrons. So, if sodium gives its one valence electron to a sodium atom, sodium has a new valence electron level (the level that was before its previous valence level, which has eight) and its former valence electron snuggles in with chlorine's seven to make eight. And every one is now happy.

Answer 3

Sodium(a cation) and cholorine (an anion) form an ionic bond because of their differences in electronegativity. Electronegativety (a dimensionless unit) of ions generally increases from the bottom left of the Periodic Table to the upper right. When given the electronegativety of ions (Sodium=0.93, Cholorine=3.16) the difference between the anion's and cation's electronegativety must be greater than 1.7 to form an ionic bond. Which in this case, it is. If the difference amounts to less than 1.7 a covalent bond will form. This is chemical bonding in a nut shell. Hope it helps!

Answer 4

If you're asking why sodium and chlorine bond together, the answer is simple. Sodium (Na) has one more electron than it needs, and is therefore essentially trying to get rid of it. Chlorine (Cl) needs just one more electron, so it will take one from just about anything it comes close to that's willing to give one. Since sodium has exactly one extra of what chlorine so disparately wants, a bond is formed between them with ease. The difference between the strength of the hold that sodium and chlorine have on the bonding electron is so great that the electron pretty much leaves the sodium atom completely and orbits around the chlorine atom alone. This is known as an ionic bond, and these are the most common form of bonds around because they happen so easily.