The statement means that when elements combine chemically to form a salt, the resulting compound has properties that are distinct from the individual elements that made it.

Here's an example:

* Sodium (Na) is a soft, silvery metal that reacts violently with water.

* Chlorine (Cl) is a toxic, greenish-yellow gas.

When sodium and chlorine react, they form sodium chloride (NaCl), which is common table salt.

* Sodium chloride is a white, crystalline solid that is soluble in water. It's neither soft nor reactive like sodium, nor is it toxic or gaseous like chlorine.

This difference in properties is due to the formation of ionic bonds between the sodium and chlorine atoms. Sodium loses an electron to become a positively charged ion (Na+), while chlorine gains an electron to become a negatively charged ion (Cl-). These oppositely charged ions attract each other strongly, creating a stable, crystalline structure with entirely new properties.