Sodium chloride
Some contain ions; they conduct electricity when or in solution. Other compounds are non-electrolytes - they do not have as component . In this case, sodium chloride consists of charged sodium ions and negatively charged ions, Na⁺Cl^-.

is formed when sodium (a ) burns in chlorine (a non-metallic element). During the reaction, each sodium loses one to become a sodium . Each chlorine atom one electron to become a ion.

When particles have electric charges, a force of exists between them. It is called attraction or an ionic bond in many books; however you must not use “ionic bond” when answering questions on a GCSE paper. Sodium chloride is an ionic or electrovalent compound. The compounds which electricity when they are melted or dissolved are electrovalent compounds.

There is an attraction between sodium and chloride ions. A pair of ions, Na⁺Cl^-, does not exist by itself. Each ion attracts other ions. The sodium ion attracts ions, and the ion attracts sodium ions. The result is a three-dimensional structure of alternate Na⁺ and Cl^- ions. Since the ions cannot move out of their positions, the ions conduct electricity. When the salt or in water, the ions are , and under these conditions, sodium chloride is able to electricity.