Properties and Characteristics of Sodium Metal
Sodium is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. It is the sixth most abundant element on Earth and the fifth most abundant element found in the oceans. Sodium has the chemical symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is located in Group 1 and Period 2 of the periodic table. Some key properties of sodium metal include:
- It is a soft metal that can be easily cut with a knife.
- It is highly reactive and will ignite spontaneously in water. When exposed to air, it forms a protective oxide layer.
- Sodium Metal has a density of 0.968 g/cm3 at room temperature, making it less dense than both liquid water and mercury.
- Its melting point is 98°C and boiling point is 883°C.
- Sodium has an electron configuration of 3s1. It loses its sole outer electron easily to form a +1 oxidation state, Na+.
- Its normal valency state is +1 but can also form compounds with the +2 oxidation state like sodium peroxide, Na2O2.
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