What is the chemical name of table salt?

Sodium Chloride

The correct answer is option 4. Sodium Chloride.

Table salt, chemically known as sodium chloride \((NaCl)\), is a compound composed of sodium ions \((Na^+)\) and chloride ions \((Cl^-\)) in a 1:1 ratio. It is one of the most common and widely used chemical compounds, both industrially and in everyday life.

Sodium chloride is formed through the reaction between sodium \((Na)\) metal, a highly reactive alkali metal, and chlorine \((Cl_2)\) gas, a highly reactive diatomic molecule:

\[ 2 \text{Na} (s) + \text{Cl}_2 (g) \rightarrow 2 \text{NaCl} (s) \]

The resulting compound, sodium chloride, is a crystalline solid at room temperature and forms cubic crystals. It is highly soluble in water, with the ability to dissociate into its constituent ions:

\[ \text{NaCl} (s) \rightarrow \text{Na}^+ (aq) + \text{Cl}^- (aq) \]

Table salt is essential for human health and is a crucial component of the human diet. It is used not only as a seasoning to enhance the flavor of food but also as a preservative and in various industrial processes such as chemical manufacturing, water treatment, and food processing.

Furthermore, sodium chloride has many other applications, including as a de-icing agent for roads in cold climates, in the production of chlorine and sodium hydroxide through the chloralkali process, and in the production of various chemicals and materials.