Answer:
Water molecules pull the sodium and chloride ions apart, breaking the ionic bond that held them together. After the salt compounds are pulled apart, the sodium and chloride atoms are surrounded by water molecules, as this diagram shows. Once this happens, the salt is dissolved, resulting in a homogeneous solution.
the metal is easily shaped and does not contract with water
This problem is very easy to answer. You simply have to look at the subscripts of each element of the compound.
1. For caffeine, which has a molecular formula of C₈H₁₀N₄O₂, it contains 8 atoms of Carbon, 10 atoms of Hydrogen, 4 atoms of Nitrogen and 2 atoms of Oxygen.
2. For Iron(III) Sulfate, which has a molecular formula of Fe₂(SO₄)₃, it contains 2 atoms of Iron, 3 atoms of Sulfur, and 12 atoms of Oxygen.