In a reaction involving NaCl, how many particles are produced when it dissolves?

When sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolves in water, it undergoes dissociation into its constituent ions. In this process, each formula unit of NaCl separates into one sodium ion (Na⁺) and one chloride ion (Cl⁻). Therefore, for each molecule of NaCl that dissolves, two distinct particles are generated: one Na⁺ ion and one Cl⁻ ion. This results in a total of two particles produced upon dissolution.

The reason this reasoning aligns with the provided answer is that both the sodium and chloride ions exist independently in solution after the dissociation occurs. Understanding the ionic nature of NaCl is key in recognizing that dissolution leads to an increase in the number of particles due to the formation of these ions.