NaOH, commonly known as sodium hydroxide, is an ionic compound. This classification arises from the way its atoms are bonded together.
Sodium (Na) is a metal, and hydroxide (OH) is a polyatomic ion. In NaOH, sodium donates an electron to the hydroxide ion, leading to the formation of Na+ and OH– ions. The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in the formation of ionic bonds.
In contrast, molecular compounds consist of atoms held together by covalent bonds, where electrons are shared between atoms rather than transferred. Since NaOH does not fit this description and is formed through ionic bonding, it is definitively an ionic compound.