What do the formulas for table salt, #NaCl#, and water, #H_2O#, indicate about these compounds?

Ionic compounds are created when one electron is transferred from the outer shell of sodium to form the Na+ cation and another electron is gained by chlorine to form the Cl- anion. Together, these two molecules form ionic bonds, which are ionic electrostatic attraction forces.

According to the Octet Rule, the O atom in H2O has six electrons in its outermost shell and needs two more electrons for a stable configuration. The O atom obtains this stability by receiving one electron from each of the two hydrogen atoms, which leads to the mutual sharing of electrons and the formation of co-valent bonds. Consequently, H2O is a co-valent compound.

The formulas for table salt (NaCl) and water (H2O) indicate the chemical composition of these compounds. NaCl shows that table salt is made up of one sodium (Na) atom and one chlorine (Cl) atom bonded together. H2O indicates that water consists of two hydrogen (H) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom bonded together.