The term for splitting ionic compounds into ions is dissociation.

Here's a breakdown:

* Ionic compounds are formed by the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

* Dissociation is the process where these ionic compounds break apart into their constituent ions when dissolved in a solvent, typically water.

For example, when table salt (NaCl) dissolves in water, it dissociates into sodium ions (Na+) and chloride ions (Cl-).