• Question: if there is sodiom in salt and sodiom is very reactive and flamable then how come when i put salt in my boiling hot water it doesnt explode

    Asked by BNNS to Min, Marcello, Katie, Israel, Dheeraj, Aoife on 18 Nov 2019.
    • Photo: Aoife McHugh

      Aoife McHugh answered on 18 Nov 2019:


      Salt (NaCl) is made of sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl), both are reactive on their own, however when they join to make a compound (salt) they are more stable. NaCl is an ionic compound, which means the ions of Na and Cl join together by electrostatic force. This stabilises the ions, and no longer makes them reactive.

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