Sodium chloride (NaCl), also known as table salt, is held together by ionic bonds.

Here's how it works:

* Sodium (Na) is a metal that tends to lose one electron to become a positively charged ion, Na⁺.

* Chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal that tends to gain one electron to become a negatively charged ion, Cl⁻.

These opposite charges, +1 for sodium and -1 for chlorine, attract each other strongly, forming an ionic bond. This electrostatic attraction between the positively charged sodium ions and the negatively charged chloride ions is what holds the entire crystal structure of sodium chloride together.

Think of it like magnets – opposite poles attract!