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What is the electronegativity difference between a chlorine atom (Cl) and a sodium atom (Na)? Show your calculations and explain what this difference tells us about the type of chemical bond formed between these two elements.

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The electronegativity values for chlorine  Cl  and sodium  Na  are 3.16 and 0.93, respectively. To find the electronegativity difference between these two elements, we can simply subtract the electronegativity value of sodium from that of chlorine:Electronegativity difference = Electronegativity of Cl - Electronegativity of NaElectronegativity difference = 3.16 - 0.93Electronegativity difference = 2.23The electronegativity difference between chlorine and sodium is 2.23.This electronegativity difference tells us about the type of chemical bond that forms between these two elements. In general, the greater the electronegativity difference, the more ionic the bond. A difference of 1.7 or greater is typically considered to be an ionic bond, while a difference less than 1.7 is considered to be a covalent bond.Since the electronegativity difference between chlorine and sodium is 2.23, which is greater than 1.7, the bond between these two elements is considered to be an ionic bond. In this case, sodium loses an electron to become a positively charged ion  Na+ , and chlorine gains an electron to become a negatively charged ion  Cl- . The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions forms the ionic bond in sodium chloride  NaCl , which is commonly known as table salt.
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