Sodium is a metal and an alkali element. This means that it loses its electrons during a chemical reaction.
Chlorine on the other hand is a halogen and from Group 7. These compounds gain an electron during a chemical reaction to become stable and complete their octet for the last electron shell.
Let's look at their reactions:
Na ---> Na+ + e-
Chlorine takes up the electron lost by sodium:
Cl + e- ---> Cl-
So, when they combine, the resulting compound, sodium chloride, has a lattice of positive ions of sodium called cations and negatively charged chloride ions called anions.
2Na + Cl2 ---> 2 Na+Cl-
Chlorine on the other hand is a halogen and from Group 7. These compounds gain an electron during a chemical reaction to become stable and complete their octet for the last electron shell.
Let's look at their reactions:
Na ---> Na+ + e-
Chlorine takes up the electron lost by sodium:
Cl + e- ---> Cl-
So, when they combine, the resulting compound, sodium chloride, has a lattice of positive ions of sodium called cations and negatively charged chloride ions called anions.
2Na + Cl2 ---> 2 Na+Cl-