Classify table salt as one of the following. a. element b. compound

Classify table salt as one of the following.

a. element

b. compound

c. homogeneous mixture

d. heterogeneous mixture

e. energy

f. none of the above

Answer: b. compound

Sodium chloride chemically referred to as table salt is a clear example of a compound. A compound is a form of matter which is made of two or more elements chemically united and cannot be separated by the ordinary process of physical separation. In dealing with table salt, for instance, we have sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) compounds combining through ionic bonds to form a series of crystalline networks. This bonding happens when sodium releases one electron to chlorine and the two are left with opposite charges that pull them together. Thus, the compound formed exhibits characteristics entirely different from the components, for example, while sodium is a reactive metal and chlorine is a toxic gas, sodium chloride or table salt, is quite harmless. Table salt is a compound, meaning that it has a uniform composition and the two ingredients of sodium chloride are inseparable through a physical means apart from a chemical one, other than mixtures.