What is the coordination number of an ion in sodium chloride?

Options

A. `6`
B. `8`
C. `4`
D. `2`

Answer

A

Explanation

The coordination number of an ion in a given crystalline ionic solid is the number of nearest oppositely charged ions surrounding it. In the `NaCl` structure, each `Na^(+)` ion is surrounded by `6Cl^(-)` ions as its nearest neighbors, and each `Cl^(-)` ion is surrounded by `6Na^(+)` ions.