The correct statement about sodium chloride (NaCl) is: The sodium atom transfers electrons to the chlorine atoms to form ionic bonds.
In the formation of sodium chloride, sodium (Na), a metal, loses one electron to become a positively charged ion (Na⁺), while chlorine (Cl), a non-metal, gains that electron to become a negatively charged ion (Cl⁻). The electrostatic attraction between these oppositely charged ions results in an ionic bond.