Which statement about sodium chloride is true?

• A. Sodium chloride is soluble in water
• B. Sodium chloride is insoluble in water
• C. Sodium chloride decomposes in water
• D. Sodium chloride forms gas with water

Answer: (A)

Dissolving ionic compounds in water relies on the ability of water’s polar molecules to separate and surround the ions in the solid lattice. Water is polar, with partly positive hydrogen and partly negative oxygen, so it can surround Na+ with its negative oxygen ends and Cl− with its positive hydrogen ends. This interaction pulls the ions away from the crystal and into solution, a process called hydration, which helps overcome the forces holding the solid together.

Sodium chloride dissolves readily in water, forming Na+ and Cl− ions in solution. It does not undergo chemical change in water, so it does not decompose or produce gas; it simply disperses as ions in the water.

So the statement that sodium chloride is soluble in water is true.