What is Sodium: Definition and 221 Discussions

Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin natrium) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable isotope is 23Na. The free metal does not occur in nature, and must be prepared from compounds. Sodium is the sixth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and exists in numerous minerals such as feldspars, sodalite, and rock salt (NaCl). Many salts of sodium are highly water-soluble: sodium ions have been leached by the action of water from the Earth's minerals over eons, and thus sodium and chlorine are the most common dissolved elements by weight in the oceans.
Sodium was first isolated by Humphry Davy in 1807 by the electrolysis of sodium hydroxide. Among many other useful sodium compounds, sodium hydroxide (lye) is used in soap manufacture, and sodium chloride (edible salt) is a de-icing agent and a nutrient for animals including humans.
Sodium is an essential element for all animals and some plants. Sodium ions are the major cation in the extracellular fluid (ECF) and as such are the major contributor to the ECF osmotic pressure and ECF compartment volume. Loss of water from the ECF compartment increases the sodium concentration, a condition called hypernatremia. Isotonic loss of water and sodium from the ECF compartment decreases the size of that compartment in a condition called ECF hypovolemia.
By means of the sodium-potassium pump, living human cells pump three sodium ions out of the cell in exchange for two potassium ions pumped in; comparing ion concentrations across the cell membrane, inside to outside, potassium measures about 40:1, and sodium, about 1:10. In nerve cells, the electrical charge across the cell membrane enables transmission of the nerve impulse—an action potential—when the charge is dissipated; sodium plays a key role in that activity.

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  1. M

    Why is the 11th electron of the sodium atom located in the 3rd energy level

    Q: Why is the 11th electron of the sodium atom located in the third energy level rather than in the second energy level? xD
  2. S

    Why is sodium potassium pump required?

    Ok I searched and found this as the answer from a previous topic "The sodium potassium pump is required to maintain osmotic balance and stabilize the cells volume. If you treat an animal cell with ouabain, which inhibits the Na+/K+ pump, it will swell and often burst. Cells contain mostly...
  3. B

    What is the Magnetic Force on Arm Due to Sodium Ions in a Magnetic Field?

    Homework Statement Sodium ions (Na+) move at 0.844 m/s through a bloodstream in the arm of a person standing near a large magnet. The magnetic field has a strength of 0.259 T and makes an angle of 59.0° with the motion of the sodium ions. The arm contains 95.0 cm^3 of blood with a...
  4. J

    Exploring Acids & Bases: Sodium Acetate & Cyanide Solutions

    Here's the question: And the answer is: Which makes sense to me, because acetic acid is the stronger acid. But there's another option in the list that it says is NOT true: I thought this might be true, because both are solutions of chemicals that were referred to as acids. Am I...
  5. C

    Where to Get Sodium Silicate (Liquid Glass) for Head Gasket Repair

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  6. E

    Specific parts of the emission spectrum of a sodium lamp

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  7. E

    What is the origin of the strong red line in the sodium emission spectrum?

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  8. I

    Molarity of Unknown and sodium hydroxide.

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  9. K

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  10. N

    Fermi distribution of 3s electrons of sodium

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  11. M

    Electric Fields: Sodium Ions pumped

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  12. P

    Sodium Acetate pH - 0.2M Solution, No Acetic Acid Added

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  13. H

    How does Doppler broadening affect the Zeeman effect on sodium spectrum?

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  14. L

    Potassium chloride vs. Sodium chloride for osmosis?

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  15. P

    Stoichiometry: finding the yield in reaction of sodium azide with iron oxide

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  16. G

    Separating salt and sodium carbonate help

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  17. R

    Alternative to Sodium Acetate Trihydrate

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  18. M

    Why Does a Sodium Vapor Lamp Create a Dark Line at 589nm in the Spectrum?

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  19. F

    Atomic physics sodium question

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  20. J

    Can sodium sulphate, p-toluidine, and benzoic acid form hydrogen bond

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  21. S

    Percent of sodium oxalate help

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  22. D

    Organic Sample with Hydrochloric Acid and Sodium Hydroxide

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  23. S

    Calculating the concentration of sodium hydroxide using calorimetry

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  24. T

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  25. L

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  26. G

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  27. M

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  28. S

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  29. S

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  30. A

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  31. B

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  32. M

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  33. Y

    Exploring Sodium Acetate and Ammonium Nitrate for Green Architecture

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  34. Z

    Calculating Formic Acid & Sodium Formate for pH Change

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  35. J

    Seperation of sodium and potassium carbonates

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  36. R

    Is Silver Chloride soluble in Sodium Hydroxide ?

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  37. E

    Atomic physics: sodium D-line transition missing 2 pi

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  38. J

    Solving Calculations Involving Azides and Sodium Hydroxide

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  39. R

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  40. A

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  41. Amith2006

    Fine structure of sodium spectrum

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  42. D

    Why does sodium have a doublet?

    Hi everyone i wanted to know why this is so, i know it has something to do with the quantum numbers but i want to know how and why? Your help will be greatly appreciated.
  43. X

    Charge on sodium in the following reaction

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  44. B

    How do you calculate the percentage of sodium bisulphite using titration?

    Hi all, i am hoping to make sodium bisulphite by passing so2 through NaOH. However, i was wondering if anyone has a link or a method to a titration for calaulating % sodium bisulphite, Regards,
  45. M

    Is Sodium Nitrate Linked to Cancer?

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  46. L

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  47. C

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  48. L

    Understanding Hard Water & Sodium Carbonate Softening

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  49. E

    Quantity of photons emitted from a sodium lamp

    How many photons is sendt out per second from a 100 W natrium lamp, which gives a wawelenght of 589 nm(if 50% of the energi goes to the creation of light)? I think I have to use photo elektric effect, but how? Hints, anyone?
  50. C

    Problematic Synthesis of Sodium Acetate

    Problematic "Synthesis" of Sodium Acetate Greetings all, was hoping someone more knowledgeable than me (not a tall order, by any means) could point out some errors in my theory or method here. Fascinated by pictures of supersaturated NaCH3OOH solutions crystallizing at the drop of a dime (or a...
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