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sodium chloride structure
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sodium chloride structure

crystallography
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Sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as salt, is an ionic crystalline compound composed of equal numbers of sodium and chlorine atoms. Its structure is based on a cube, with sodium and chlorine atoms alternating at the corners. This arrangement means the structure is formed by two interpenetrating face-centered cubic (fcc) lattices.12

Ionic bonds, like those in sodium chloride, are formed by the attraction between oppositely charged ions (Na⁺ and Cl⁻). These bonds are strong, contributing to a relatively high melting point for sodium chloride, though lower than some other ionic compounds like periclase (MgO) due to differences in bond strength. Crystals with ionic bonds typically exhibit moderate hardness and high symmetry.3

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8 Britannica Sources
  1. sodium chloride
  2. crystal - Structures of metals
  3. crystal - Structures of binary crystals
  4. mineral - Ionic bonds
  5. coordination compound - Geometry
  6. coordination compound - Coordination number
  7. mineral - Sulfosalts
  8. mineral salt

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