Sodium (Na)
"The Salt Shaker, a hero with an explosive personality when mixed with water, but a partner in the most essential compound on Earth."
A memorable persona to anchor Na in your mind.
0.971
Grams per cm³
97.794
Celsius (°C)
227
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
The table salt used to season food.
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1807
Discovered By
Humphry Davy
Origin of Name
"The name is derived from the English word ''soda''."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
22.99 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
882.94°C
Electron Configuration
[Ne] 3s1
1st Ionization Energy
5.139 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal."
Did You Know?
It is so soft it can be easily cut with a butter knife at room temperature.
Sodium reacts explosively with water, producing hydrogen gas and so much heat that the hydrogen often ignites and burns.
Its chemical symbol 'Na' comes from its Latin name, 'natrium'.
The distinct yellow-orange glow of many streetlights comes from sodium vapor lamps.