Sodium

 Sodium 
Na
Atomic Number: 11
Atomic Weight: 22.98977
Element Type: Alkali Metal
Crystal Structure: Cubic Face Centered
Melting Point: 97.8°C = 208.04°F = 370.95 K
Boiling Point: 883.0°C = 1621.4°F = 1156.15 K
Critical Temp: °C = °F = K
Atomic Radius: 2.23 Å (Å = Angstrom = 10-10 m)
Covalent Radius: 1.54 Å
Electronegativity: 0.93

History

(English, soda; Medieval Latin, sodanum, headache remedy) Long recognized in compounds,sodium was first isolated by Davy in 1807 by electrolysis of caustic soda.


Sources

Sodium is present in fair abundance in the sun and stars. The D lines of sodium areamong the most prominent in the solar spectrum. Sodium is the fourth most abundant elementon earth, comprising about 2.6% of the earth's crust; it is the most abundant of thealkali group of metals.

It is now obtained commercially by the electrolysis of absolutely dry fused sodiumchloride. This method is much cheaper than that of electrolyzing sodium hydroxide, as wasused several years ago.

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'A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving…'

Albert Einstein
(1879-1955)

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