Sodium
🧂 In Your World
Sodium is a part of your daily life, most famously as one half of table salt (NaCl). This compound is essential for life, helping to regulate fluids in your body and enabling nerve function. Pure sodium is also used in the classic yellow-orange streetlights you see at night and as a heat transfer agent in some nuclear reactors.
📖 The Discovery Story
Because of its high reactivity, sodium is never found free in nature. It was first isolated in 1807 by English chemist Sir Humphry Davy, who used electrolysis on molten sodium hydroxide (caustic soda). The element's name comes from the English word "soda," while its symbol, Na, is derived from its Latin name, natrium.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 97.81 °C / 208.06 °F |
| Boiling Point | 882.8 °C / 1621 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Ne] 3s¹ |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 2.36% |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Sodium metal is extremely reactive. It reacts violently and exothermically with water, producing flammable hydrogen gas and sodium hydroxide. This reaction can be explosive. Because it also reacts with air, pure sodium must be stored under an inert medium, such as mineral oil.