Aqueous sodium is sodium dissolved in water and can react in precipitation, acid-base, and redox reactions. It is an electrolyte solution with other ions such as chloride and calcium. Sodium is a reactive alkali metal and is isolated through electrolysis. It is used in various applications such as making titanium and street lamps.
Aqueous sodium is the liquid form of sodium dissolved in a solvent such as water. Some common aqueous reactions involve sodium hydroxide, chloride, and silver nitrate. In general, aqueous solutions can react with water in three types of reactions: precipitation reactions, acid-base reactions and redox reactions.
Aqueous solutions are identified in chemical reaction equations with a subscript (aq). The solid form of elemental sodium is represented as Na, while the aqueous sodium is indicated as Na(aq). A simple mixture of sodium and water creates aqueous sodium. The amount of sodium dissolved in water can be increased or decreased to achieve the desired concentration. Different concentrations are needed to drive different chemical reactions.
Sodium is an alkali metal that belongs to a group of elements known as electrolytes. Electrolytes carry free ions that carry a slight electrical charge that allows them to bond easily with hydrogen molecules, especially those found in water. Aqueous sodium is an example of an electrolyte solution. Other electrolytes or ions that dissolve in aqueous sodium are chloride (Cl-), calcium (Ca2+), potassium (K2+), magnesium (Mg2+, hydrogen phosphate (HPO42-), and hydrogen carbonate (HCO3-).
A common example of an aqueous sodium chemical reaction is the combination of aqueous silver nitrate and sodium chloride. When the aqueous forms of silver nitrate and sodium chloride are combined, the reaction produces a solid precipitate consisting of silver and chloride. If aqueous sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid are combined, the acid-base reaction produces electrically charged aqueous sodium chloride. An oxidation-reduction reaction occurs between solid sodium and gaseous chloride to produce table salt.
There are many other aqueous reactions involving sodium. Sodium iodide and sodium nitrate can react to form a white precipitate. Sodium sulfate and lead nitrate also produce a white precipitate. These and many other aqueous chemical solutions have applications in chemical engineering, molecular biology, and physics.
As for sodium itself, the element got its chemical symbol from the Latin name for soda ash, natrium. Sodium is the sixth most abundant element on Earth; however, it is never found freely in nature. Sodium is a very reactive alkali metal which can ignite in contact with moisture.
The pure form of sodium was isolated in 1807 by the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy, who used an early method of electrolysis. Since then, sodium has been incorporated into many aspects of daily life. Sodium is used to make titanium, coolant for nuclear reactors, and bright yellow lights for street lamps.
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