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Identify the type of inorganic compound present in sodium chloride (NaCl) and methane (CH4). Is it ionic, covalent, or metallic? Provide a detailed explanation for your choice.

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Sodium chloride  NaCl  and methane  CH4  are both inorganic compounds, but they have different types of bonding.Sodium chloride  NaCl  is an ionic compound. It is formed by the transfer of electrons between a metal  sodium, Na  and a non-metal  chlorine, Cl . Sodium loses one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration, forming a positively charged ion  Na+ , while chlorine gains one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration, forming a negatively charged ion  Cl- . These oppositely charged ions are attracted to each other, forming an ionic bond. The resulting compound, NaCl, has a crystal lattice structure where each sodium ion is surrounded by six chloride ions, and each chloride ion is surrounded by six sodium ions. This strong electrostatic attraction between the ions results in the high melting and boiling points of ionic compounds like NaCl.Methane  CH4  is a covalent compound. It is formed by the sharing of electrons between non-metal atoms  carbon, C, and hydrogen, H . In this case, carbon needs four more electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration, while each hydrogen atom needs one more electron. To satisfy these requirements, carbon forms four single covalent bonds with four hydrogen atoms, sharing one electron pair in each bond. The resulting molecule, CH4, has a tetrahedral shape with carbon at the center and hydrogen atoms at the vertices. Covalent compounds like methane typically have lower melting and boiling points compared to ionic compounds due to the weaker intermolecular forces between the molecules.In summary, sodium chloride  NaCl  is an ionic compound, and methane  CH4  is a covalent compound.
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