[CausticPotash]

Today in class we learned about what happens when you dissolve sodiumchloride in water. My teacher said that the water molecules seperate the sodium and chlorine atoms and attach themselves to them. The thing I don't understand (and my teacher couldn't explain it to me, didn't understand either... shes actually a bio teacher) is that if there is seperated sodium and chlorine in the water, then why isn't gargling with salt water dangerous? Although I guess it actually isn't pure, because it is bonded with water making some compound (NaH20??), but I'm not sure. Another thing I don't get is that if the chlorine and sodium are seperated, when you evaporate the water why doesn't it leave behind the pure elemental forms of sodium and chlorine, or at least have some chlorine gas escape or something, how come they form back together instantly?

[Yggdrasil]

When sodium chloride dissolves in water you get sodium ions and chloride ions:

NaCl_(s) --> Na⁺_(aq) + Cl^-_(aq)

These ions are completely different than elemental sodium (Na) and elemental chlorine (Cl₂).  For example, elemental sodium is reactive because it has an unstable configuration of electrons (1s²2s²2p⁶3s¹).  Sodium ions, however, have a different, more stable configuration of electrons (1s²2s²2p⁶) which makes it very inert and virtually harmless.

[enahs]

Also, large excess of salt water, and salt in general, is dangerous.
But, like all things, moderation. You can not survive without salt either.

And to say that it is bonded with water is not correct. There is not a strictly typical chemical bond. They are just attracted to each other, because water is polar. The opposite charges attract. It is more appropriate to say they are loosely associated with each other.