Here's why:
* Sodium (Na) has one electron in its outermost shell.
* To achieve a stable electron configuration (like noble gases), sodium wants to lose this single electron.
* Losing this electron leaves sodium with a positive charge, becoming a sodium ion (Na+).
This lost electron can then be gained by another atom, like chlorine, which forms a chloride ion (Cl-), resulting in an ionic bond between sodium and chlorine (NaCl).
