What is the formal charge of NaCl
The formal charge of sodium chloride (NaCl) is calculated by comparing the number of valence electrons assigned to an atom in a molecule or ion with the number of electrons the atom actually has in that species.
In NaCl, sodium has a formal charge of +1 and chlorine has a formal charge of -1. This is because sodium (Na) has one valence electron and chlorine (Cl) has seven valence electrons. By transferring one electron from sodium to chlorine, both atoms achieve a full outer shell and satisfy the octet rule.
Therefore, the formal charge of NaCl is 0, as the total charges on sodium and chloride ions cancel each other out in the ionic compound.