![]() Some compounds of sodium have been known and used by people for centuries. 10H2O), soaps and detergents, glass, and medicines as well.For instance, it is present in baking soda (NaHCO3), baking powder, washing soda (Na2CO3), borax (Na2B4O7 That’s because, besides forming common salt, something every human being is familiar with, sodium easily reacts with other elements too to form some of the most commonplace substances used in daily life. In general, most people might have never seen sodium metal, but all of us come across its numerous compounds almost every day. But, being highly reactive, it is not usually found in nature in its pure elemental form. Sodium is the sixth most abundantly existing element on Earth and the most abundant alkali metal. Understandably, many consider sodium to be a fascinatingly paradoxical element. And, while coming in contact with pure sodium could cause corrosive burns and ingesting it would be toxic, sodium is an essential element for human and animal life. Which is why it needs to be stored in kerosene or oil. Let it react with oxygen and water vapour in the air and it could explode. Moreover, unlike most metals, sodium is one of the three elemental metals that are lighter than water – the other two being lithium and potassium, its fellow members in the alkali metal group.Īlso, pure sodium if left to itself could be harmless. Let it combine with chlorine, however, and it forms sodium chloride or common salt, a hard, crystalline compound. But, it’s one of those soft ones, about as soft as chilled butter, that can be sliced with a knife. ![]() The alkali metal sodium is so full of contradictions.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |