This week I’m
learning about sodium, so I decided to share some information on sodium. Sodium’s
atomic number is 11 and its mass is 22.990. Sodium was discovered by Sir
Humphry Davy in the year of 1807. It is a part of the alkali metals group and
is the most explosive of the group. Its density is 0.968 and it has an atomic
symbol of Na. Sodium is solid at room
temperature and can only be stored in a nature free environment. The atomic
symbol comes from the Latin word natrium
which means sodium carbonate.
Sodium
comes from the English word soda, but
it also comes from a Medieval Latin word sodanum
which means headache remedy. It was discovered by the process of electrolysis
of caustic soda. Sodium is the sixth most abundant element in the earth’s
crust. It can only be found in nature combined with another element. Sodium
also conducts electricity and heat really well.
Interesting Facts:
v When sodium is exposed to water it explodes
v Best tasting out of the alkali metals
v Sodium liquid is used as a coolant for nuclear
reactors
v It combines with chlorine to make table salt
v Sodium vapor is used in streetlights
v Air makes sodium turn white
Questions:
What else is Sodium
in?
Why do you think
that Sodium is so explosive?
Is Sodium in
anything that you use every day besides salt?
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