Sodium

Sodium
"Sodium it's "Na"turally Salty

By Luca Quenneville

Periodic Table
Sodium is located in the Periodic Table in the Alkali Metals group. It is in the 3rd period and is considered a Metal. Sodium has a 1+ charge because it's found in the Alkali Metals family. It is located in this family because it is very explosive and has 1 valence electron. Sodium "Na" comes from the Latin word "Natrium". Sodium is considered a metal. The atomic number of sodium is 11 and the atomic mass is 22.990 or 23.

Bohr-Rutherford Diagram

Properties of Sodium

Chemical-Sodium can explosively react with water. It burns with a golden-yellow flame and combines with oxygen at room temperature.   When sodium comes in contact with water it releases gases such as hydrogen. When heated it can emit toxic fumes. Sodium toxicity can cause swelling in the body and high blood pressure.

Physical- Sodium is a silvery- white mineral. It dissolves in most liquid substances and is very small. It can be cut with a knife and is a good conductor. When cut the surface of sodium is very shiny and smooth. The density of sodium is 2.165g/ml. Sodium is surprisingly very malleable. Sodium has a very low melting point of 97.5 degrees celsius.  The boiling point of sodium is 883 degrees celsius.

History

Sodium originally came from seawater which was discovered thousands of years ago in Egypt. Sodium was discovered scientifically 1807 by Sir Humphry Davy, a man from London, England. The English man exposed caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to an electric current which then obtained globules of sodium metal. Sir Davy named the newly discovered element "sodium" because he used "soda" to discover it. This was the first sign of sodium. 

General Uses

The general uses for "sodium" or "salt" are...

-Baking/cooking

-To enhance the flavour of food (ex.french fries)

- Used to kill the bacteria in swimming pools

-The body uses sodium to maintain your health

-Also used in the manufacturing of products (ex. glass, pottery, etc)

-Used in streetlights (in bright yellow light)

-To make baking soda

- Found in caustic soda

My element is most important because our body uses it to obtain our health and wellness. Sodium helps our body to function by giving it the energy it needs to function throughout the day. We can lose sodium, so that is why our food should contain a minimum amount of sodium. Without sodium our body would shutdown and would give us some difficulties such as headaches, nausea, muscle weakness and fainting, just to name a few. Sodium is very important to humans and organisms.

Typical Compounds Formed

• Baking Soda -Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate. NaHCO3
• Caustic Soda- Sodium Hydroxide. NaOH
• Washing Soda-Sodium Carbonate. Na2CO3
• Salt- Sodium Chloride. NaCl

etc.

Interesting Facts

-At room temperature sodium is soft enough to cut with a butter knife

-It is an essential element for the nutrition of organisms

-There is only one stable isotope of the element of sodium 23

                                                                                                 Na

-It's found in the sun and in stars

-The most common mineral of sodium is salt (Sodium Chloride)

-Sodium is also found in sweat

-It composes about 2.6% of the earth's crust.

-Sodium must be stored in a moisture free environment

-Releases hydrogen when exposed with water

Conclusion
In conclusion sodium is indeed the best element on the Periodic Table of Elements. It helps our body function, it can cause cool, huge explosions and is a main component in many of the products manufactured today. Sodium is a main factor in our life. Without the discovery of sodium we wouldn't be knowledgeable on how important sodium is to our body, and we wouldn't be taking the correct sodium intakes. Without or with too much sodium our body can experience many unhealthy, painful problems which will affect our lives. Sodium is a life dependant mineral that we should definitely be grateful for.


Video

References 

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 "Uses of Sodium | Uses Of." Uses Of. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. 

 "Sodium Chloride." Sodium Chloride - EatingWell. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2016. 

 Http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aboutcom-Chemistry/244818558903541. "10 Interesting Facts about the Element Sodium." About.com Education. N.p., 2016. Web. 10 Dec. 2016.

slowtwitch. "The Math of Salt Loss."Slowtwitch.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

"The Element Sodium."It's Elemental - The Element Sodium. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Images- Google Images