sodium

**HANNAH CHAI ^^  Symbol: NA  Atomic Number: 11  Mass Number: 23 (Round the Average ATOMIC MASS)  Physical State At Room Temperature: Solid at 25°C Latin Name: //natrium //Bottom of Form  Pronunciation: n -tr - m Function: //noun// Uses: Metallic sodium is vital in the manufacture of esters and in the preparation of organic compounds. The metal may be used to improve the structure of certain alloys, descale metal, and purify molten metals. An alloy of sodium with potassium, NaK, is an important heat transfer agent. Biological Importance of the Element: Sodium is essential to life on Earth. Most biological tissues and body fluids contain a varying amount of salt. The concentration of sodium ions in the blood is directly related to the regulation of safe body-fluid levels. Propagation of nerve impulses by [|__signal transduction__] is regulated by sodium ions. (Potassium, a metal closely related to Sodium, is also a major component in the same bodily systems). 0.9% sodium chloride in water is called a physiological solution because it is isotonic with blood plasma  Discoverer & HOW: Imortance on Earth: [|Sir Humphry Davy] believed that chemical union was electrical in nature- and so, a strong electric current might be able to overcome the forces binding compounds together, and lead to the isolation of new elements. In 1807 he tested this hypothesis on caustic potash ( [|potassium hydroxide], KOH) and caustic soda ( [|sodium hydroxide] , NaOH), which had previously been suspected to be oxides of unknown metals.  <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> Physical Properties: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> Sodium Metal is a soft, bright, silvery metal that you can cut it with a knife. The [|density] of sodium metal is 0.97 g/mL, which means the metal will float on water. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Chemical Properties: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Sodium is a very reactive element and is never found in the uncombined state in nature. Sodium has one electron in its outer energy level that is the source of its chemical reactivity. The most common form found in nature is salt, NaCl with 2.6 - 3.0% abundance in the earth's crust and about 3.0% in the ocean. <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Sodium metal [|reacts spontaneously with water] to give sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. The evolution of hydrogen and the exothermic nature of the reaction may cause it to ignite. Sodium metal normally does not ignite in air at temperatures below 115 C. But since it is still very reactive with oxygen, sodium metal is stored under a layer of mineral oil or kerosene in the Lab. <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Common Compounds: <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">This section lists some binary compounds with halogens (known as halides), oxygen (known as oxides), hydrogen (known as hydrides), and some other compounds of sodium. For each compound, a formal oxidation number for sodium is given, but the usefulness of this number is limited for //<span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">p //-block elements in particular. Based upon that oxidation number, an electronic configuration is also given but note that for more exotic compounds you should view this as a guide only. The term hydride is used in a generic sense to indicate compounds of the type MxHy and not necessarily to indicate that any compounds listed behave chemically as hydrides. <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Common Ions: None! <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Common Isotopes of Sodium: The [|nucleus] of this isotope contains 11 [|protons] and 12 [|neutrons] and is not radioactive. There are 18 other known isotopes of sodium. All are radioactive. Sodium-22, sodium's most stable radioactive isotope, has a [|half-life] of 2.6 years. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Sodium is present in fair abundance in the sun and stars. The D lines of sodium are among the most prominent in the solar spectrum. Sodium is the fourth most abundant element on earth, comprising about 2.6% of the earth's crust; it is the most abundant of the alkali group of metals. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> It is now obtained commercially by the electrolysis of absolutely dry fused sodium chloride. This method is much cheaper than that of electrolyzing sodium hydroxide, as was used several years ago. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 28pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bradley Hand ITC'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">[[image:Sodium.jpg]]Sodium<span style="FONT-SIZE: 28pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; FONT-FAMILY: 'Bradley Hand ITC'; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial">[[image:Sodium1.jpg width="211" height="267"]]
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> na·tri·um **<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 130%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">
 * [|__SODIUM__]**
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> Sources **

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Compounds
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">The most common compound is sodium chloride (table salt), but it occurs in many other minerals, such as soda niter, cryolite, amphibole, zeolite, etc.

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Properties
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Sodium, like every reactive element, is never found free in nature. Sodium is a soft, bright, silvery metal which floats on water. Decomposition in water results in the evolution of hydrogen and the formation of the hydroxide. It may or may not ignite spontaneously on water, depending on the amount of oxide and metal exposed to the water. It normally does not ignite in air at temperatures below 115oC.

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Uses
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Metallic sodium is vital in the manufacture of esters and in the preparation of organic compounds. The metal may be used to improve the structure of certain alloys, descale metal, and purify molten metals. <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">An alloy of sodium with potassium, NaK, is an important heat transfer agent.

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Compounds
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Sodium compounds are important to the paper, glass, soap, textile, petroleum, chemical, and metal industries. Soap is generally a sodium salt of certain fatty acids. The importance of common salt to animal nutrition has been recognized since prehistoric times. <span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Among the many compounds that are of the greatest industrial importance are common salt (NaCl), soda ash (Na2CO3), baking soda (NaHCO3), caustic soda (NaOH), Chile saltpeter (NaNO3), di- and tri-sodium phosphates, sodium thiosulfate (hypo, Na2S2O3 . 5H2O), and borax (Na2B4O7 . 10H2O).

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Isotopes
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Thirteen isotopes of sodium are recognized.

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Cost
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Metallic sodium is priced at about 15 to 20 cents/lb in quantity. Reagent grade (ACS) sodium in January 1990 cost about $35/lb. On a volume basis, it is the cheapest of all metals.

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Handling
<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Sodium metal should be handled with great care. It cannot be maintained in an inert atmosphere and contact with water and other substances with which sodium reacts should be avoided. //<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Title Picture : //<span style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> Sodium reflects yellow light, as observed in astronomical phenomena. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> Resources: <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> Symbols And Name Origin for Some Elements <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">Wesley, Addison. "Matter And Change."__Chemistry__. 5th. 2000. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> ("Elements of Compounds" 40) <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "Sodium." __Sodium__ 1112/15/2003 21 Oct 2008 <http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/11.html>. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"> || <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "Global oneness." __Sodium Biological Importance__ 21 Oct 2008 <http://www.experiencefestival.com/sodium_chloride_-_biological_importance>. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin">
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "Sodium." __Natrium__ 21 Oct 2008 <http://medical.merriam-webster.com/medical/natrium>.
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "Sodium." __Natrium__ 21 Oct 2008 <http://medical.merriam-webster.com/medical/natrium>.
 * <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> ||

<span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/history/faq/sodium-discovery.shtml <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "NA." __SODIUM__ 22 Oct 2008 <http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/102Asodium.html>. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "Sodium." __WEBELEMENTS__ 22 Oct 2008 <http://www.webelements.com/sodium/compounds.html>. <span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin"> "Sodium Isotopes." __Jefferson Lab__ 24 Oct 2008 <http://education.jlab.org/qa/sodiumisotopes_01.html>.