What do the numbers listed for an element on the periodic table represent?
the smaller number is the number of protons, and the greater number is the mass.
the smaller number is the number of neutrons, and the greater number is the number of protons.
the smaller number is the mass, and the greater number is the number of protons and electrons.
the smaller number is the number of protons, and the greater number is the number of neutrons.

nacl or sodium chloride is an ionic compound. this is because an ionic compound pertains to a compound that consists of positively and negatively charged ions. in this case, na (sodium) has a tendency to lose one electron when it reacts with with other atoms, so the resulting sodium ion contains 11 protons and 10 electrons, thus making it positively charged (na+), when chlorine reacts, it usually gains one electron to form an ion called chloride, thus making it negatively charged ( since the ions are oppositely charged, they attract.