Chapter 17, Problem 59A

If you eat metallic sodium or inhale chlorine gas, you run a great risk of dying. When these two elements combine, however, you can safely sprinkle the resulting compound on your popcorn for better taste. What is going on?

To determine

To Explain: When the metallic sodium or chlorine gas is consumed through eating and inhaling respectively it may cause death,but the combination of chlorine and sodium makes sodium chloride can be easily consumed for better test.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

Chemical compounds are the substance which can be formed by combining the atoms of different elements by means of the chemical bonds. One of the most domestically used compound is the sodium chloride. It is commonly called table salt.

Sodium chloride is the ionic compound used in every kitchen of the world. Chemically it can be represented as NaCl. The ratio of the sodium to chlorine in sodium chloride is 1:1.Consumption of sodium metal alone is dangerous to health. As the sodium is highly reactive with water andemits hydrogen. Similarly, chlorine gas is poisonous and classified as a pulmonary irritant. Inhalation of chlorine causes damage to upper and lower respiratory track. When sodium and chloride combine together to form sodium chloride salt, properties of the parent material change. Valence electrons in the outermost shell decides the chemical and physical properties of the element. When two elements of different valances and electronic configuration chemically combine together to form the new compound, valence electrons of the elements come together to form the bond which changes the chemical properties of the compound material. Due to the change in electronic structure of the compound, physical as well as chemical properties also changes. Na+ and Cl- combine to formed sodium chloride which is neutral having different chemical and physical properties.

Conclusion:

Therefore, due to change in the electronic configuration of compound material, it shows the different chemical as well as physical properties from the elements from which it made. This is the reason why consumption of sodium chloride not hazardous to human whereas consumption of sodium and chlorine separately may cause death.