Sodium is an important mineral for living organisms and is used in various consumer goods. It is a soft, reactive metal that occurs naturally in compounds. Sodium is identified by the symbol Na and was first isolated in 1807. It is heavily processed for production and used in various applications, but pure form requires careful handling due to its reactivity.
Sodium is an abundant metallic element that is an important mineral for all living organisms. It is also used extensively industrially to make an assortment of consumer goods. The soft metal also appears in an abundance of compounds, such as sodium chloride, better known as salt. It also exists in high concentrations in seawater and is among the 10 most abundant minerals in the earth’s crust.
In pure form, sodium is a soft, silvery-gray, highly reactive metal. It is usually stored in a non-reactive substance, as it oxidizes rapidly when exposed to air, quickly forming a thick coating. The element is also highly explosive when exposed to moisture and water, much to the delight of many chemistry students. Because it is so reactive, it usually occurs naturally in compounds with other elements. Many of these compounds, such as salt, are extremely stable and perfectly safe to handle. Others, such as sodium hydroxide, must be handled carefully as they can be dangerous.
In the periodic table of elements, sodium is identified with the symbol Na. This is a reference to a Latin word natrium, used to refer to a specific type of salt. Its atomic number is 11, placing it among other light chemical elements, and it was first isolated in 1807 by Sir Humphrey Davy, an extremely active chemist who succeeded in identifying and isolating a wide range of chemical elements. Davy achieved this insulation by passing an electric current through a sodium compound to separate the elements.
While Sir Davy certainly isolated the element, its existence was well understood prior to 1807. Humans have a long history with sodium and an assortment of its compounds. Because the element is so vital to healthy living, it’s no surprise that sources like sodium chloride have long been highly prized by humans. A large assortment of other compounds have been used in the home and in industrial manufacturing for centuries before the element was fully understood.
The element is extremely abundant on Earth and is heavily harvested and processed for production. Soaps, metal alloys, metal refining, and engines all rely heavily on sodium, and the metal is also used in lighting, chemistry, and a number of other applications. The pure form requires careful handling, as it is extremely caustic in the presence of even small amounts of moisture. It should be handled with pliers and used under close supervision.
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