sodium is soft then why sodium chloride is hard - Chemistry - The Solid State

Question

sodium is soft then why sodium chloride is hard ?

Shubhangini Kumari · Accepted Answer

Dear student!
Sodium is more stable when it is combined with chlorine to form a
sodium salt NaCl where, sodium exists as a stable ion
Na+ equivalent to Ne -gas Also, the salt has the
strongest electrovalent bond in comparison to the metallic bond of
sodium metal So, the crystal structure of NaCl is harder than the
sodium metal