2. Sodium comes from the
Latin word natrium where is
where it gets it symbol Na.
In English sodium comes
from the word soda which
means headache remedy.
It was discovered in
England by Sir Humphrey
Davy
3. Sodium is a silvery
white solid at room
temperature, but it is
a very soft solid.
Melting Point:
97.72˚C.
Boiling Point: 883˚C.
Density at 293 K:
0.971 g/cm3
Because sodium is
an alkali metal, it is a
good conductor of
heat and electricity.
4. Sodium-23 is the only naturally occurring
isotope of sodium.
There are six known radioactive isotopes
of sodium.
The two major radioactive isotopes are
sodium-22 and sodium-24.
5. Sodium 22 and 24 are used in medicine.
• They are used as tracers to follow sodium in a
person’s body.
• The radiation given off by the isotopes are
followed by detectors.
Sodium-24is also used to test leaks in
underground oil pipelines.
• Sodium-24 is added to the pipelines and when the
oil leaks, so does the sodium-24 which can easily
be detected by radiation detecting instruments.
6. Sodium is not found free in
nature because it is highly
reactive.
It is very abundant in the
sun and stars, and is even
found in the earth’s crust.
Sodium can be obtained by
passing an electric current
through molten NaCl.
Cost: $25 per 100 g.
7. Pure sodium has very few uses because it is
such a reactive element.
Metallic sodium is used to manufacture
organic compounds. It is also used to
remove impurities from molten metals.
Metals can be separated from compounds
using sodium.
It is used as a heat exchange medium in
nuclear power plants. The heat in sodium
converts water to steam which generates
electricity.
8. Sodium is used to make
artificial rubber.
It is used in making light
bulbs. Sodium is converted
to gas and injected into the
light bulb. An electric current
causes sodium vapor to give
off a yellowish glow.
Sodium vapor lamps are
popular today because they
do not produce as much glare
as ordinary lights.
9. Sodium chloride-
seasoning, preservative, synthesis of other
sodium compounds
Sodium hydroxide-
film, rayon, soaps, paper, and lye
Sodium carbonate-glass making, paper
production, textile
manufacturing, soaps, and detergents
Sodium bicarbonate-baking soda
Sodium sulfate-cardboard and Kraft paper
10. Sodium silicate-
Soaps, detergents, adhesives, water
treatment, and bleaching and sizing
textiles.
Sodium borate-borax
Monosodium glutamate-MSG
11. Sodium is the most abundant alkali metal.
Sodium is stored in oil to prevent its reaction
with air.
Pure sodium mixed with water creates a
violent reaction. So much energy is released
that the sodium melts, turns into a ball, and
the heat causes the hydrogen gas to
explode, and the sodium ball sizzles across
the water.
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