THE ENERGETICS OF IONS, ATOMS, AND SALTS - SODIUM AND ITS CHLORIDE

In this study we reconcile three seemingly contradictory assertions re garding sodium chloride. First, gaseous sodium chloride is Coulombical ly bound and highly ionic. Second, upon pulling the molecule apart ato mic sodium and chlorine are produced. This is somewhat surprising; des pite the high ionicity of NaCl, since IP(Na) > EA(Cl). Third, heteroly tically dissociating NaCl(g) into Na+ + Cl+ costs more energy than ion izing gaseous Na into Na+ + e-. Does this violate Coulomb's law since the Na-Cl bond distance in NaCl(g) is greater than the average Na nucl eus-valance electron distance?