Whats+in+your+salt??........(Sodium+chloride)

We always add it in our food for a great taste but what is really behind salt............??

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is an ionic compound which consists of sodium and chlorine. It is also known as common salt, table salt and halite.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES: NaCl is made up of a 3D lattice of positively charged Sodium (blue) and negatively charged Chlorine (green) - is there supposed to be a picture? The ions aren't actually coloured, we colour them in drawings to tell the difference between positive and negative ions easier.. 
 * Solid at room temperature

When each of the opposite charges attract each other, they bond and therefore when many of them combine, a solid is formed. Although this solid is only weakly bonded really? ionic bonds are relatively strong and if disturbed, it can break. This is because (when disturbed) the charges may get moved down and like charges may move next to each other.

The like charges repel and cause part of the solid to break/crumble -  its a clean break - remember it cleaves, doesn't crumble . (And if a lot of force has been used and the whole molecule gets disturbed, than the whole molecule breaks). NaCl is colourless/white and this is because it does not absorb any visible light. As mentioned earlier, NaCl is an ionic compound, and this means that each Sodium ion (Na+) interacts with 6 chloride ions (Cl-) and each chloride interacts with 6 Na+. There are a lot of these bonds what sort of bonds? in a salt crystal. Melting an ionic compound means to break each of these bonds which take a lot of energy (heat energy). This is the reason of a high melting point. (Most ionic substances have high melting points) Boiling is the process of turning a liquid into gas. And once the solid (ionic bonded) salt has been melted and turned into liquid (covalent bonded), a higher heat energy is required to break the liquid form’s covalent bonds. This is the reason why such a high boiling point is needed. This is because when sodium chloride is in its solid form, than the negatively charged chlorines, are bonded with the positively charged sodium, and therefore the electrons are unable to pass current through them. But when the bonds are broken (via melting), <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">the electrons are able to move freely, careful - ions can conduct charge - the electrons aren't free moving, the ions are able to move <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;"> and conduct electricity.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Colourless/white crystalline
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Melting point: 801 degrees Celsius
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Boiling point: 1413 degrees Celsius
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Electrical conductivity: No, unless melted......... <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;"> or? only when melted?

Where does our salt come from? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Here in New Zealand, we get our salt from Lake Grassmere, located north of the south island. (We get nearly half of the country’s supply from here). How is it gathered? <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">Wind and sun evaporates the water from the lake which leaves behind a progressively salty solution. As the concentration percentage gets higher, the solution is transferred to a larger and deeper ‘pond’. This is where crystals begin to form. Then during summer days, the solution is moved to smaller ‘ponds’ to complete the process of the crystallization. This goes on till March. Then it is harvested. If any further process are needed than they are done, and if not (mostly not) than they are packed and ready to be sold!