This document provides information about the element sodium. It discusses that sodium was first isolated in 1807 by Sir Humphry Davy through electrolysis. Sodium is used to make many products including titanium, sodamide, sodium cyanide, and as a coolant in nuclear reactors. It is one of the most abundant elements on Earth and is found in many household items like salt and baking soda. The document outlines sodium's properties, major isotopes, availability and cost, common compounds, and some fun facts.

1. Na - Sodium
One of the most abundant
elements on Earth!
By: Emily Esham

2. The History and Uses of
Sodium
• Sir Humphry Davy in 1807, first isolated pure sodium,
through the electrolysis of caustic soda (NaOH).1
• Is used to make titanium, sodamide, sodium cyanide,
sodium peroxide, and sodium hydride.1
• Nuclear reactors use liquid sodium as a coolant.1
• Sodium vapor is used in streetlights and produces a
brilliant yellow light.1
• Most common uses include: table salt, soda ash,
baking soda, caustic soda, Chile saltpeter and borax.1

3. How we Use Sodium to make
Products
• When Sodium is used
to make titanium it is
used in the form of
Sodium Aluminum
Fluoride. 8
• To make sodamide,
Sodium is mixed with
liquid ammonia.9
• When making sodium
cyanide, sodium is
used in the form of
sodium hydroxide. 10
• Sodium Peroxide is
made by using the
peroxide of hydrogen,
alcohol and excess
sodium hydroxide.11
• Sodium is used as
chunks as well as
naphthalene to
produce sodium
hydride. 12

4. Who?,What?,When, andWhere?
• Sodium was
discovered in
England by Sir
Humphry Davy.2
• In the year of 1807.2
• Sodium, from the
English word soda
and from the
Medieval Latin word
sodanum, means
“headache remedy.”1
• Sodium's chemical
symbol comes from
the Latin word for
sodium carbonate,
natrium.1

5. Properties
 Symbol of Element: Na3
 Atomic Number of Sodium: 113
 Atomic Mass: 22.98977 amu3
 Melting Point: 97.8 °C - 370.95 °K3
 Boiling Point: 552.9 °C - 826.05005 °K3
 Number of Protons/Electrons in
Sodium:113
 Number of Neutrons in Sodium: 123
 Crystal Structure: Cubic3
 Density @ 293 K: 0.971 g/cm33
 Color of Sodium: Silver-white3
 State at Room Temperature: Solid1
 Sodium is easy to oxidize.
 And it is also a very malleable metal.

6. Major Isotopes of Sodium
20Na
• Half Life: 447.9
milliseconds4
21Na
• Half Life: 22.49
seconds4
22Na
• Half Life: 2.605 years to
Neon4
24Na
• Half Life: 14.997 hours4
25Na
• Half Life: 59.1 seconds4
26Na
• Half Life: 1.077
seconds4

7. Sodium’s Availability, Cost, and
Where we can find it
• Sodium makes up 2.6% of the Earth’s crust.1
• It is found as a compound in common
household items such as, table salt, bleach
and baking soda.1
• It is found as a pure element in sodium
streetlights to produce a bright yellow light.1
• It is rarely found in nature as a pure element.1
• The cost of pure sodium is $25 per 100
grams.5

8. Common Compounds of Sodium
• NaCl- Sodium Chloride or
table salt. Used for
flavoring or preserving
food, ect.7
• NaHCO3- Sodium
Bicarbonate or baking
soda. Used as a teeth
whitener or a riser in batter
when baking.7
• NaNO3- Sodium Nitrate or
Chili saltpeter. Used as a
diuretic or found in
fertilizers.7
• Na2CO3- Sodium Carbonate,
washing soda or soda ash.
Used as a water softener.7
• Na2O2- Sodium Peroxide is
a strong base and a potent
oxidizing agent.7
• Na2S- Sodium Sulfite is used
in detergents.7
• NaOH- Sodium Hydroxide,
Lye or Caustic Soda. Used
in detergents, textiles,
soaps and drinking water.7
• NaCN- Sodium Cyanide is
an inorganic compound
and was commonly used
for mining gold.7

9. Fun Facts about Sodium
Sodium is used to make vapor lamps which is found in street
lamps.6
It plays a very important role in the body’s fluid balances.6
Sodium along with fatty acids are found in soap.6
Sodium is very reactive in water so it must be stored in liquid
hydrocarbons, such as kerosene.6
It has 13 isotopes, only one of which is stable.6

10. References
• http://periodictable.com/Elements/011/index.html
• http://www.search.com/reference/Sodium_vapor_lamp
• http://wiki.chemeddl.org/index.php/PTL:Sodium
1. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele011.html
2. http://www.webelements.com/sodium/history.html
3. http://www.facts-about.org.uk/science-element-sodium.htm
4. http://www.wolframalpha.com/
5. http://www.chemicool.com/elements/sodium.html
6. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-sodium.html
7. http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/periodic/Na-compounds.html
8. http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-titanium-metal/
9. http://www.answers.com/topic/sodium-amide
10. http://www.erowid.org/archive/rhodium/chemistry/nacn.txt
11. http://chestofbooks.com/health/materia-medica-drugs/Manual-Of-Dental-
Materia-Medica-And-Therapeutics/Peroxide-Of-Sodium-Sodium-Peroxide-
Sodium-Di-Oxide.html
12. http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja01026a057