When sodium chloride (NaCl) is dissolved in water (H2O), it dissociates into its constituent ions, sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl-) ions. This process can be represented by the following chemical equation:
NaCl (s) + H2O (l) → Na+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)
The resulting product is a solution containing sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-) dispersed in water (H2O). In this aqueous solution, the Na+ and Cl- ions are surrounded by water molecules, forming a hydrated ion complex.