Why can you apply the term molecule to the smallest particle of water but not to that of table salt?

The term "molecule" applies to water (H₂O) because it is a covalent compound made of individual units of atoms bonded together. Each water molecule consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. In contrast, table salt (NaCl) is an ionic compound composed of a lattice of sodium and chloride ions, and it does not exist as discrete molecules; instead, it forms a continuous network of ions. Therefore, while water can be defined in terms of molecules, table salt cannot.