 |
| Name |
sodium |
| Symbol |
Na |
| Atomic Weight |
22.989770 |
| Atomic Number |
11 |
| CAS ID |
7440-23-5 |
| Group Number |
1 |
| Group Name |
Alkali Metal |
| Period Number |
3 |
| Origin of Name |
English, soda; Latin, natrium. |
| Year Discovered |
1807 |
| Discovery Credits |
Isolated by Sir Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution,
London, UK. |
| Class |
Metallic |
| Color |
Silvery White |
| Standard State |
Solid at 77 F & 298 K |
| Description |
Soft, silvery white metal which oxidizes rapidly when cut.
Reacts vigorously with water. Produced in large quantities and used as
metal in heat exchanger in atomic reactors. NaCl is key industrial
chemical, used to make Cl2, NaOH, etc. Diagnostic tests:
Compounds containing sodium give a strong and persistent yellow flame
test. The test is so sensitive that sodium contamination may give a false
positive.
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