Sodium

Sodium can react intensely with water and also when heat generated by the sodium plus water will produced hydrogen gas; extremely explosive. The symbol for Sodium is Na. The atomic number for Sodium is 11. It is a member of the alkali metals on the periodic table. Also known as salt. Sodium is a highly reactive metal with its only stable isotope being 23Na, Sodium is a soft, silvery white color, which is very reactive. Most salts of sodium are quite soluble in water. Sodium is a crucial element for all animals and some plants species. Room temperature sodium metal is soft enough that you can cut it with a butter knife.

Membrane function and sending nerve impulses



Sodium belongs to group 1 on the periodic table. Sodium is very highly reactive.

__**Functions**__ The body uses sodium to regulate blood pressure and blood volume. Sodium is also critical for the functioning of muscles and nerves. __**Sodium in**__ **the Diet** Sodium occurs naturally in most foods. The most common form of sodium is sodium chloride, which is table salt. Milk, beets, and celery also naturally contain sodium, as does drinking water, although the amount varies depending on the source. Sodium is also added to various food products. Some of these added forms are monosodium glutamate, sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), and sodium benzoate. These are ingredients in condiments and seasonings such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, onion salt, garlic salt, and bouillon cubes. Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage, and ham, as well as canned soups and vegetables are all examples of foods that contain added sodium. Fast foods are generally very high in sodium. • Keeping the minerals in the body as well as calcium soluble in the blood • Stimulating the adrenal glands • Helping in the treatment of certain conditions, which include fever, dehydration, leg cramps and diarrhea • Regulating the fluids and acid base balance within the body The deficiency of sodium nutrition in the body could lead to several problems such as low blood pressure, excessive perspiration and subsequently dehydration. Sodium deficiency is usually accompanied by symptoms like fatigue, weakness, nausea and severe muscle cramps.


 * Name:** Sodium **Symbol:** Na **Atomic Number:** 11 **Atomic Mass:** 22.98977 amu **Melting Point:** 97.72 °C (370.87 K, 207.9 °F) **Boiling Point:** 883 °C (1156 K, 1621 °F) **Number of Protons/Electrons:** 11 **Number of Neutrons:** 12 **Classification:** Alkali Metal **Crystal Structure:** Cubic **Density @ 293 K:** 0.971 g/cm3 **Color:** silvery

Atomic Structure

 * [[image:http://www.chemicalelements.com/bohr/b0011.gif width="241" height="239"]] ||  || **Number of Energy Levels:** 3
 * First Energy Level:** **Second Energy Level:** **Third Energy Level:** ||

Isotopes

 * ** Isotope ** || ** Half Life ** ||
 * Na-22 || 2.6 years ||
 * Na-23 || Stable ||
 * Na-24 || 14.96 hours ||

Facts

 * Date of Discovery:** 1807 **Discoverer:** Sir Humphrey Davy **Name Origin:** soda (Na2CO3) **Symbol Origin:** From the Latin word //natrium// (sodium) **Uses:** medicine, agriculture **Obtained From:** table salts and other foods

When you combine Na with Cl salt is produced. Yes, the salt we are most familiar with: table salt. We use table salt to add flavor most of the foods we eat. We don't tend to put it on things like cereal, __cake__, fruit, oatmeal, or yogurt. We do tend to put it on steak, potatoes, vegetables, and eggs. You can see that it is generally not put on sweet things, but complements savory food well. There are some exceptions; combining salty pretzels with chocolate produces a delicious result.

Sodium's powdered form is highly explosive in water and a poison combined and uncombined with many other elements. Ecotoxicity: Median tolerance limit (TLM) for the mosquito fish, 125 ppm/96hr (fresh water); Median tolerance limit (TLM) for the bluegill, 88 mg/48hr (tap water). Environmental fate: this chemical is not mobile in solid form, although it absorbs moisture very easily. Once liquid, sodium hydroxide leaches rapidly into the soil, possibly contaminating water sources.

Read more: [|http://www.lenntech.com/periodic/elements/na.htm#ixzz1uRbbVGKW] Salt has been an important commodity in human activities, as shown by the English word //salary//, which derives from //salarium//, the wafers of salt sometimes given to Roman soldiers along with their other wages. In medieval Europe, a compound of sodium with the Latin name of //sodanum// was used as a headache remedy. The name sodium is thought to originate from the Arabic //suda//, meaning headache, as the headache-alleviating properties of sodium carbonate or soda were well known in early times. The chemical abbreviation for sodium was first published by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in his system of atomic symbols, and is a contraction of the element's new Latin name //natrium//, which refers to the Egyptian natron, a natural mineral salt primarily made of hydrated sodium carbonate. Natron historically had several important industrial and household uses, later eclipsed by other sodium compounds. Although sodium, sometimes called //soda//, had long been recognised in compounds, the metal itself was not isolated until 1807 by Sir Humphry Davy through the electrolysis of sodium hydroxide. Sodium first was commercially produced by by thermal reduction of sodium carbonate with carbon at 1100°C, in the Deville process. Pure sodium may be obtained by electrolysis of molten sodium chloride. It may be produced by by the thermal decomposition of sodium azide. Sodium is an essential element for __animal nutrition__. In humans, sodium is important for maintaining fluid balance in the cells and throughout the body. The electric potential maintained by sodium ions is critical for nerve function.
 * History**
 * Interesting Fact About Sodium:**

Sodium is now produced commercially through the electrolysis of molten sodium chloride, based on a process patented in 1924 This is done in a Downs Cell in which the NaCl is mixed with calcium chloride to lower the melting point below 700 °C. As calcium is less electropositive than sodium, no calcium will be formed at the anode. This method is less expensive than the previous Castner process of electrolyzing sodium hydroxide.

Reagent-grade sodium in tonne quantities sold for about US$3.30/kg in 2009; lower purity metal sells for considerably less. The market for sodium is volatile due to the difficulty in its storage and shipping; it must be stored under a dry inert gas atmosphere or anhydrous mineral oil to prevent the formation of a surface layer of sodium oxide or sodium superoxide. These oxides can react violently in the presence of organic materials. Sodium will also burn violently when heated in air Smaller quantities of sodium cost far more, in the range of US$165/kg; the high cost is partially due to the expense of shipping hazardous material. However, in the case of sodium it tends to have a higher density when compared to even potassium. Facts about sodium the element also state that sodium if and when it is brought in contact with air, it tends to easily get oxidized and thus forms oxides. On the other hand, another fact about sodium bicarbonate is that if sodium is brought in contact with water then it tends to explode and forms sodium hydroxide which is also accompanied with the release of a large amount of heat.

Sodium and health problem
==** The biggest risk of a high-sodium diet is the effect it has on blood pressure and heart health. Hypertension/high blood pressure, heart diesae and kidney failure are some of the long-term effects that can result from long-term, high-sodium intake. In the body, sodium is processed by the kidneys. However, when a person eats too much sodium, the kidneys cannot process all of it. The excess sodium ends up in the bloodstream. Because the mineral retains water, the volume of blood in the body increases. As a result, the circulatory system has to work harder to pump the blood. Over time, this added strain on the system can result in heart disease and kidney failure. ** == 