Sodium: The Shiny Metal That Lights Up Your World—And Reacts with a Bang!

Discover the secrets of sodium, the soft, silvery metal that’s not only essential for life but also an industrial powerhouse! Dive into its fiery reactions, electrifying properties, and fascinating role in everyday items. From its explosive encounters with water to its bright yellow flame, sodium is a metal that truly stands out. Keep reading to uncover how this reactive element shapes the world around us!

Top 10 interesting facts about Sodium

Soft Metal: Sodium is so soft that it can be cut with a knife.
Highly Reactive: Sodium reacts explosively with water, producing hydrogen gas and heat.
Essential for Life: Sodium ions are crucial for nerve function and muscle contractions in the human body.
Salt Component: Sodium combines with chlorine to form table salt (sodium chloride).
Discovered in 1807: Sir Humphry Davy isolated sodium for the first time through electrolysis.
Metallic Lustre: When freshly cut, sodium exhibits a shiny metallic surface that quickly tarnishes in air.
Storage in Oil: Sodium must be stored under oil or in an inert atmosphere to prevent it from reacting with moisture and oxygen.
Low Density: Sodium is less dense than water and floats on its surface.
Bright Yellow Flame: Sodium burns with a characteristic bright yellow flame, used in flame tests for identification.
Widely Used in Industry: Sodium is used in the production of paper, glass, soaps, and sodium vapor lamps.

Physical Properties of Sodium

Physical Property	Value
Symbol	Na
Atomic Number	11
Atomic Mass	22.99 u
Density	0.97 g/cm³
Melting Point	97.8 °C
Boiling Point	883 °C
Colour	Silvery-white
State at Room Temp	Solid
Crystal Structure	Body-Cantered Cubic (BCC)

Chemical Properties of Sodium

Chemical Property	Description
Reactivity	Highly reactive with water, air, and acids
Oxidation States	1
Flame Colour	Bright Yellow
Compounds Formed	Sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, etc.
Reaction with Water	Produces sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas