Overview

Sodium chloride (SO-dee-um KLOR-ide) is a colorless to white powder or crystalline solid with no odor and a characteristic salty taste. It is slightly hygroscopic, meaning that it tends to absorb moisture from the air and become damp.

Key Facts

Other Names:

Salt; table salt; common salt; rock salt

Formula:

NaCl

Elements:

Sodium, chlorine

Compound Type:

Binary salt (inorganic)

State:

Solid

Molecular Weight:

58.44 g/mol

Melting Point:

800.7°C (1473°F)

Boiling Point:

1465°C (2669°F)

Solubility:

Soluble in water and glycerol; very slightly soluble in ethyl alcohol and methyl alcohol

Salt is probably one of the best known and most widely used of all chemical compounds. Humans have been using salt as a preservative and to flavor foods since the beginning of recorded time. One of the earliest mentions of sodium chloride dates to 2,700 BCE in the Chinese book Peng Tzao Kan Mu, probably the first book...