Salt is a compound, specifically an ionic compound, formed by the chemical bonding of two different elements: sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl). It consists of positively charged sodium ions (cations) and negatively charged chloride ions (anions) held together by ionic bonds, resulting in an electrically neutral substance, commonly known as sodium chloride (NaCl). Salt is not an element or a mixture, but a pure compound with a fixed ratio of its constituent elements and characteristic crystalline structure.