Hi, since NaOH is a water-soluble, ionic compound, the ions (Na+ and OH�?/SUP>) will become surrounded, or solvated, by the solvent water molecules and thus be separated from each other. In the solid state, the ions are together, in contact in the solid, but they become separated due to solvation when the solid is dissolved in water.
NaOH (aq) ––�?gt; Na+ (aq) + OH�?/SUP> (aq)
That should be it! I think this is what question is after, especially if it is in the context of writing ionic and net ionic equations.
Steve
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