Sodium chloride Sodium chloride Sodium chloride , also known as salt (though sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. With molar masses of 22.99 and 35.45 g/mol respectively, 100 g of NaCl contains 39.34 g Na and 60.66 g Cl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of seawater and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms. In its edible form of table salt, it is commonly used as a condiment and food preservative. Large quantities of sodium chloride are
Chemical composition Chemical composition Chemical composition refers to the identity and relative number of the chemical elements that make up any particular compound. The chemical composition of a pure substance corresponds to the relative amounts of the elements that constitute the substance itself. It can be expressed with a chemical formula, such as an empirical or molecular formula. For example, the chemical formula for water is HO: this means that each molecule of water is constituted by 2 atoms of hydrogen (H) and 1 atom of oxygen (O). Thus the chemical composition of water may be interpreted as a 2:1 ratio of