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Sodium

General Properties, Where It Comes From, How The Metal Is Obtained, How We Use It



The chemical element of atomic number 11. Symbol Na, atomic weight 22.9898, specific gravity 0.97, melting point 208°F (97.8°C), boiling point 1,621.4°F (883°C).



Sodium is the second element in group 1 of the periodic table. Its chemical symbol reflects its Latin name of natrium. The element was first isolated by the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy in 1807. Only one stable isotope of sodium exists in nature, sodium-23. However, at least six radioactive isotopes have been prepared synthetically. They include sodium-20, sodium-21, sodium-22, sodium-24, sodium-25, and sodium-26.


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