Final answer:
Table salt is composed of the elements sodium and chlorine, which combine to form the ionic compound sodium chloride (NaCl) with a formula mass of 58.44 amu.
Step-by-step explanation:
The elements in the compound sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, are sodium and chlorine. The chemical formula for table salt is NaCl, which indicates that it consists of sodium cations, Na+, and chloride anions, Cl-. These two elements combine in a 1:1 ratio to form the ionic compound, which has a formula mass of 58.44 amu.
Sodium is a very reactive metal and chlorine is a highly reactive gas; together they form a stable ionic compound which is essential for health and widely used in medicine and food preservation.