With planet Earth having thousands of minerals, the ones that is most important to the existence of life is common NaCl (Sodium Chloride) popularly known as salt. Salt is among the most prevalent Earth’s minerals while it constitutes nutrients for diverse plants and animals. Naturally, salt is found in underground formations of rocks and in seawater. Sodium Chloride plays a critical role in terms of sustaining the balance of electrolytes in fluids in the body of individuals. In the event that electrolyte levels become significantly high or low, the person might end up being overhydrated or dehydrated. People have used salt as a means of preserving and flavoring their foods for many years. When used as a preservative, sodium chloride assists in avoiding spoilage while helping in ensuring that foods, such as ready-to-eat cheeses and meats are safe for consumption by people (Escue, 2016) . Salt also facilitates in the fermentation processes of foods, including kefir, pickles, and sauerkraut.
Furthermore, salt has additional uses past preserving and seasoning of foods. For instance, hospitals utilize intravenous sodium chloride solution with the goal of supply salt and water to patient in anticipation for hindering dehydration. In addition, rock salt is used to assist in de-icing icy roadways and sidewalks. Individuals also use the same salt type in their diner table prior to it being grind down to emerge as finer crystals. When it comes to large sodium chloride quantities, they are utilized in industrial manufacturing environments to assist in the creation of numerous products ranging from paper, plastic, glass, and rubber to polyester, chlorine, soaps, dyes, detergents, and household bleach. In this vein, it is true that NaCl serves as a crucial mineral in daily life (Rankin, 2011) . It serves many purposes to humans, animals, and plants, thereby making it one of the most important minerals.
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The properties of sodium chloride are attributable to the formation of the mineral. Regarding its traits, it is usually soluble in water readily while just slightly soluble or insoluble in a large number of other liquids. It normally develops small, colorless, and transparent to white crystals in cubic form. The mineral lacks order also attributed to a characteristic taste. It serves as an iconic compound that comprises of equal number of positively and negatively charged sodium and chloride ions respectively. Upon dissolving in water or melting salt, the ions are capable of moving freely in such a manner that the molten or the dissolved sodium chloride conducts electricity (Vaughan, 2014) . It is also possible to decompose the mineral into sodium as well as chlorine by ensuring to pass an electrical charge via it.
When it comes to formation, it is essential to realize that sodium chloride comprises of a huge ionic lattice. The formation of the mineral results from the ionic bonding that entails transferring electrons between atoms while making sure that every atom comprises of an outer electrons’ shell. For sodium, it normally loses an electron thereby becoming Na+ whereas chloride attains an electron to create Cl-. The charged atoms are referred to as ions. The strong attraction forces between the two ions with opposite charges merge them together establishing an ionic bond. The electrostatic attraction forces act in different directions thereby holding together the ions in a huge ionic lattice. Tremendous energy is needed in order to overwhelm toe tough electrostatic attraction forces thereby leading the molecules to have high boiling and melting points, indicating they are solid (Escue, 2016) . The ionic lattices can dissolve in water and when they are molten or soluble, the ions, which carry free charges that conduct electricity.
References
Escue, S. (2016). A text-book of important minerals and rocks. with tables for the determination of minerals. New York: Wentworth Press.
Rankin, W. J. (2011). Minerals, metals and sustainability: meeting future material needs. Sydney: Csiro Publishing.
Vaughan, D. J. (2014). Minerals: a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
