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Sodium is a metal that is extremely reactive yet is soft, white, and silver in color. It is most commonly known in the form of sodium chloride, which is what we know today as table salt.

See the fact file below for more information on Sodium, or you can download our 28-page Sodium worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

ETYMOLOGY

• The word “salary” comes from the Latin word “salarium,” which refers to wafers of salt that were sometimes provided to Roman soldiers along with their other wages. It demonstrates that salt has long been regarded as a valuable commodity due to the significant role it plays in maintaining human health. 
• As a treatment for headaches throughout the Middle Ages in Europe, a compound of sodium known by its Latin name, sodanum, was commonly employed. It is believed that the word “headache” in Arabic, which is where the word “soda” comes from, is where the name “sodium” originated. The headache-relieving qualities of sodium carbonate or soda were widely recognized in earlier times.
• Although sodium, also known as soda, has been known to exist in compounds for a considerable amount of time, the element sodium itself was not isolated until 1807, when it was done so by Sir Humphry Davy by the electrolysis of sodium hydroxide. Ludwig Wilhelm Gilbert, a German scientist and chemist, coined the term Natronium for Humphry Davy’s “sodium” in 1809.
• The chemical symbol for sodium was first published in 1814 by Jons Jakob Berzelius in his system of atomic symbols. It is a shortened form of the element’s New Latin name natrium, which makes reference to the Egyptian natron, a natural mineral salt that is primarily composed of hydrated sodium carbonate. The chemical symbol for sodium was first published in 1814 by Jons Jakob Berzelius in his system of atomic symbols. Natron was once widely used across a variety of industries and in domestic settings, but its significance has since been overshadowed by other sodium compounds.

DISCOVERY

• Since prehistoric times, people have been aware of salt (sodium chloride, or NaCl) and soda (sodium carbonate, or Na₂CO₃). Salt has been used since prehistoric times as a flavoring and preservative, while soda is used in the production of glass. Both soda and salt were derived from saltwater, while soda originated in Egypt‘s Natron Valley, and salt was derived from the ash of certain plants. Early chemists argued about their make-up, but the issue was finally resolved in October 1807 at the Royal Institution in London. There, Humphry Davy subjected caustic soda (also known as sodium hydroxide, NaOH) to an electric current in order to obtain globules of sodium metal, just as he had done previously for potassium, albeit with a more powerful current.
• The next year, Louis-Joseph Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thénard were successful in obtaining sodium by bringing a combination of caustic soda and iron filings to a temperature of red heat.

PROPERTIES

• The chemical element sodium has the symbol Na and the atomic number 11. As a member of group 1 of the periodic table, sodium is classified as an alkali metal. The element in its free state does not occur in nature and must be produced by the reaction of compounds. In the crust of the Earth, sodium occupies the sixth most prevalent position by mass.
• Sodium can be found on the third row and in the first group of elements. It is under the s-block, which is also known as the alkali metals. At 68°F, it is in a solid state, while iron’s melting point is at 208°F and its boiling point is at 1621°F. It has a density of 0.97 g/cm³ making it very light, and an atomic mass of 22.990. 
• When exposed to air, sodium quickly oxidizes since it is a soft metal. This process takes place very quickly. Additionally, it has a violent reaction when combined with water.
• Due to its strong chemical reactivity, metallic soda is often kept under a layer of kerosene. The color of a flame may be used to determine the presence of sodium ions in salt because Na+ causes the flame to turn yellow.

SODIUM COMPOUNDS

• The most well-known and significant sodium component is sodium chloride, also known as table salt or simply NaCl. The vast majority of additional sodium compounds are produced either directly or indirectly from sodium chloride, which may be found in natural brines, saltwater, and rock salt. In addition to its direct use in the removal of ice and snow, the conditioning of water, and the preparation of food, significant quantities of sodium chloride are utilized in the manufacturing of several other heavy (industrial) chemicals. One of the most important and widespread commercial applications of sodium chloride is in the production of chlorine, which is then used in bleaching agents.
• White crystalline sodium hydroxide, often known as NaOH, is a caustic substance that rapidly absorbs water and continues to do so until it dissolves. Sodium hydroxide, often known as caustic soda or lye, is the industrial alkali that is used more frequently than any other. It doesn’t take long for sodium to form sodium hydroxide and hydrogen when it comes into contact with water, including snow and ice. The metallic sodium that was recently cut loses its silvery sheen and gets an opaque grey color when it is exposed to air. This is due to the creation of a sodium oxide layer on the metallic sodium. 
• The chemical formula for sodium sulfate is Na₂SO₄, and it can take the form of either a white crystalline solid or a powder. It is used as a raw material in the production of a wide variety of chemicals, as well as in the creation of kraft paper, paperboard, and glass.
• Sodium is a soft, silvery metal that, at standard temperature and pressure, combines with the oxygen in the air to form sodium oxide, which is a grayish-white compound. Because it has only one electron in its valence shell, sodium metal has weak metallic bonding and free electrons, which are strong conductors of electricity and heat. These properties allow it to be readily cut with a knife, and it is also a good conductor of electricity.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Flames take on a vivid yellow hue when sodium is present. Kirchhoff and Bunsen made the observation that a sodium flame test was quite sensitive as early as the year 1860.
• Managing flames using liquid sodium is far riskier than handling fires involving solid sodium, particularly in situations where there is little experience with the safe handling of molten sodium.
• Once it has been started, sodium is extremely difficult to put out. As was said earlier, it will have a severe reaction with water and any extinguishing chemical that contains water. It will also react with a large number of other commonly used extinguishing agents, such as carbon dioxide and the compounds of halogens, as well as the majority of dry chemical agents. The only extinguishing agents that are completely safe and effective are inert materials that are completely dry. These materials include sodium chloride, graphite, diatomaceous earth, soda ash, and Class D extinguishing agents, all of which can be used to bury a small quantity of burning sodium and prevent oxygen from reaching the metal.
• The presence of saline in soils often has a negative impact on the development of plants. After calcium and other ions in clay complexes are replaced by sodium ions, the clay is transformed into a sticky mass. As a result, water percolation is dramatically slowed, and the basicity of the soil increases significantly.
• It is frequently fairly astonishing how fish can adapt to varying levels of salt in their environment. There are a variety of marine bacteria and diatoms that can survive in salt concentrations that are as high as 25 percent.

USES OF SODIUM

• Chloride of sodium is the most frequently encountered sodium chemical (common salt). Both food and the chemicals used to de-ice roads in the winter contain it. In addition, it is utilized by the chemical industry as a source of feedstock.
• Humans have understood since prehistoric times that sodium is an element that must be present in all living organisms. We have roughly 100 grams of salt in our bodies, but we are continually losing it through a variety of different pathways, so we need to replace it. We do not require any additional salt since the sodium that we consume may meet all of our requirements. The daily salt intake for the typical individual is around 10 grams, although the recommended amount is just about 3 grams.
• The majority of the sodium chloride consumed by Americans is found in processed foods; this is because processed foods are the primary source of sodium in the diet. Sodium chloride is also used as a flavor and a preservative in products such as pickled preserves and jerky. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), sodium benzoate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium nitrite, sodium saccharin, and sodium benzoate are all examples of food additives that contain sodium. Other sources of sodium include its natural occurrence in food as well as its natural occurrence in food additives.
• Sodium is a mineral that is necessary for human life and plays an important role in the regulation of blood volume, blood pressure, osmotic balance, and pH.

HEALTH CONCERNS

• An inappropriate amount of salt in the diet can lead to changes in the way the heart works mechanically, which can be quite dangerous. A high salt intake has also been linked to chronic renal disease, high blood pressure, high blood pressure-related disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and stroke.
• Kidney stones are hard deposits consisting of minerals and salts that develop inside your kidneys. Kidney stones can be caused by a variety of factors, including diet, eating food with too much sodium, excess body weight, various medical conditions, specific supplements, and drugs.

Sodium Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Sodium across 28 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Sodium, which is a metal that is extremely reactive yet is soft, white, and silver in color.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

1. Sodium Facts
2. I Came From Sodium
3. Munch or Trash
4. Unscramble Me
5. Get To Know Me
6. So Many Sodium
7. Fact or False
8. I Learned That…
9. Stoned By Sodium
10. Hi, It’s Me. I’m Sodium
11. Laugh It Off

Frequently Asked Questions

What is special about sodium?

Sodium is a soft metal that reacts easily. It melts at a very low temperature. It is used in business because it is the most crucial alkaline metal. When sodium touches water or ice, it produces sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.

How healthy is sodium?

Although our bodies require a limited amount of sodium, too much can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure is bad for your health and can cause heart disease and stroke. Most of the sodium we consume comes from salt, but there are other ways we can also consume it.

Is sodium harmful to the body?

Sodium is a type of salt. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. Every year, nearly 500,000 people die from high blood pressure. If people reduce their sodium intake, it could prevent thousands of deaths each year.

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Link will appear as Sodium Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 30, 2022