A report on Sodium

Emission spectrum for sodium, showing the D line.

A positive flame test for sodium has a bright yellow color.

The structure of sodium chloride, showing octahedral coordination around Na+ and Cl− centres. This framework disintegrates when dissolved in water and reassembles when the water evaporates.

Two equivalent images of the chemical structure of sodium stearate, a typical soap.

The structure of the complex of sodium (Na+, shown in yellow) and the antibiotic monensin-A.

Chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11.

- Sodium

88 related topics with Alpha

Potassium

16 links

Chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number19.

Structure of solid potassium superoxide.

Monte Kali, a potash mining and beneficiation waste heap in Hesse, Germany, consisting mostly of sodium chloride.

Potassium sulfate/magnesium sulfate fertilizer

Potassium is chemically very similar to sodium, the previous element in group 1 of the periodic table.

Petalite, the lithium mineral from which lithium was first isolated

Alkali metal

10 links

Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner was among the first to notice similarities between what are now known as the alkali metals.

Lepidolite, the rubidium mineral from which rubidium was first isolated

Dmitri Mendeleev's periodic system proposed in 1871 showing hydrogen and the alkali metals as part of his group I, along with copper, silver, and gold

Estimated abundances of the chemical elements in the Solar system. Hydrogen and helium are most common, from the Big Bang. The next three elements (lithium, beryllium, and boron) are rare because they are poorly synthesised in the Big Bang and also in stars. The two general trends in the remaining stellar-produced elements are: (1) an alternation of abundance in elements as they have even or odd atomic numbers, and (2) a general decrease in abundance, as elements become heavier. Iron is especially common because it represents the minimum energy nuclide that can be made by fusion of helium in supernovae.

Effective nuclear charge on an atomic electron

Periodic trend for ionisation energy: each period begins at a minimum for the alkali metals, and ends at a maximum for the noble gases. Predicted values are used for elements beyond 104.

The variation of Pauling electronegativity (y-axis) as one descends the main groups of the periodic table from the second to the sixth period

A reaction of 3 pounds (≈ 1.4 kg) of sodium with water

Unit cell ball-and-stick model of lithium nitride. On the basis of size a tetrahedral structure would be expected, but that would be geometrically impossible: thus lithium nitride takes on this unique crystal structure.

Structure of the octahedral n-butyllithium hexamer, (C4H9Li)6. The aggregates are held together by delocalised covalent bonds between lithium and the terminal carbon of the butyl chain. There is no direct lithium–lithium bonding in any organolithium compound.

Solid phenyllithium forms monoclinic crystals can be described as consisting of dimeric Li2(C6H5)2 subunits. The lithium atoms and the ipso carbons of the phenyl rings form a planar four-membered ring. The plane of the phenyl groups are perpendicular to the plane of this Li2C2 ring. Additional strong intermolecular bonding occurs between these phenyllithium dimers and the π electrons of the phenyl groups in the adjacent dimers, resulting in an infinite polymeric ladder structure.

Reduction reactions using sodium in liquid ammonia

Empirical (Na–Cs, Mg–Ra) and predicted (Fr–Uhp, Ubn–Uhh) atomic radius of the alkali and alkaline earth metals from the third to the ninth period, measured in angstroms

Empirical (Na–Fr) and predicted (Uue) electron affinity of the alkali metals from the third to the eighth period, measured in electron volts

Empirical (Na–Fr, Mg–Ra) and predicted (Uue–Uhp, Ubn–Uhh) ionisation energy of the alkali and alkaline earth metals from the third to the ninth period, measured in electron volts

Similarly to the alkali metals, ammonia reacts with hydrochloric acid to form the salt ammonium chloride.

Very pure thallium pieces in a glass ampoule, stored under argon gas

This sample of uraninite contains about 100,000 atoms (3.3 g) of francium-223 at any given time.

FOCS 1, a caesium atomic clock in Switzerland

A wheel type radiotherapy device which has a long collimator to focus the radiation into a narrow beam. The caesium-137 chloride radioactive source is the blue square, and gamma rays are represented by the beam emerging from the aperture. This was the radiation source involved in the Goiânia accident, containing about 93 grams of caesium-137 chloride.

The alkali metals consist of the chemical elements lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), caesium (Cs), and francium (Fr).

Chlorine

12 links

Chemical element with the symbol Cl and atomic number 17.

Chlorine, liquefied under a pressure of 7.4 bar at room temperature, displayed in a quartz ampule embedded in acrylic glass.

Structure of solid deuterium chloride, with D···Cl hydrogen bonds

Hydrated nickel(II) chloride, NiCl2(H2O)6.

Yellow chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas above a solution containing chlorine dioxide.

Structure of dichlorine heptoxide, Cl2O7, the most stable of the chlorine oxides

Suggested mechanism for the chlorination of a carboxylic acid by phosphorus pentachloride to form an acyl chloride

Membrane cell process for chloralkali production

$Chlorine "attack" on an acetal resin plumbing joint resulting from a fractured acetal joint in a water supply system which started at an injection molding defect in the joint and slowly grew until the part failed; the fracture surface shows iron and calcium salts that were deposited in the leaking joint from the water supply before failure and are the indirect result of the chlorine attack$

An impermeable fluoride layer is formed by sodium, magnesium, aluminium, zinc, tin, and silver, which may be removed by heating.

Chemical element

12 links

Species of atoms that have a given number of protons in their nuclei, including the pure substance consisting only of that species.

$Estimated distribution of dark matter and dark energy in the universe. Only the fraction of the mass and energy in the universe labeled "atoms" is composed of chemical elements.$

Periodic table showing the cosmogenic origin of each element in the Big Bang, or in large or small stars. Small stars can produce certain elements up to sulfur, by the alpha process. Supernovae are needed to produce "heavy" elements (those beyond iron and nickel) rapidly by neutron buildup, in the r-process. Certain large stars slowly produce other elements heavier than iron, in the s-process; these may then be blown into space in the off-gassing of planetary nebulae

Abundances of the chemical elements in the Solar System. Hydrogen and helium are most common, from the Big Bang. The next three elements (Li, Be, B) are rare because they are poorly synthesized in the Big Bang and also in stars. The two general trends in the remaining stellar-produced elements are: (1) an alternation of abundance in elements as they have even or odd atomic numbers (the Oddo-Harkins rule), and (2) a general decrease in abundance as elements become heavier. Iron is especially common because it represents the minimum energy nuclide that can be made by fusion of helium in supernovae.

Mendeleev's 1869 periodic table: An experiment on a system of elements. Based on their atomic weights and chemical similarities.

For example, sodium has the chemical symbol 'Na' after the Latin natrium.

Electrolysis

10 links

Technique that uses direct electric current to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction.

Hall-Heroult process for producing aluminium

1808 – Potassium (1807), sodium (1807), barium, calcium and magnesium were discovered by Humphry Davy using electrolysis.

Sodium chloride

8 links

A class-D fire extinguisher for various metals

Sodium chloride crystal under microscope.

NaCl octahedra. The yellow stipples represent the electrostatic force between the ions of opposite charge

Modern rock salt mine near Mount Morris, New York, United States

Jordanian and Israeli salt evaporation ponds at the south end of the Dead Sea.

Mounds of salt, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

Sodium chloride, commonly known as salt (although sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions.

Metal

7 links

Material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well.

A metal in the form of a gravy boat made from stainless steel, an alloy largely composed of iron, carbon, and chromium

A metal rod with a hot-worked eyelet. Hot-working exploits the capacity of metal to be plastically deformed.

Samples of babbitt metal, an alloy of tin, antimony, and copper, used in bearings to reduce friction

A sculpture cast in nickel silver—an alloy of copper, nickel, and zinc that looks like silver

Rhodium, a noble metal, shown here as 1 g of powder, a 1 g pressed cylinder, and a 1 g pellet

A sample of diaspore, an aluminum oxide hydroxide mineral, α-AlO(OH)

A neodymium compound alloy magnet of composition Nd2Fe14B on a nickel-iron bracket from a computer hard drive

A pile of compacted steel scraps, ready for recycling

The Artemision Bronze showing either Poseidon or Zeus, c. 460 BCE, National Archaeological Museum, Athens. The figure is more than 2 m in height.

A disc of highly enriched uranium that was recovered from scrap processed at the Y-12 National Security Complex, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee

White-hot steel pours like water from a 35-ton electric furnace, at the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corporation, in Brackenridge, Pennsylvania.

A Ho-Mg-Zn icosahedral quasicrystal formed as a pentagonal dodecahedron, the dual of the icosahedron

Body-centered cubic crystal structure, with a 2-atom unit cell, as found in e.g. chromium, iron, and tungsten

Face-centered cubic crystal structure, with a 4-atom unit cell, as found in e.g. aluminum, copper, and gold

Hexagonal close-packed crystal structure, with a 6-atom unit cell, as found in e.g. titanium, cobalt, and zinc

Niobium crystals and a 1 cm{{sup|3}} anodized niobium cube for comparison

Molybdenum crystals and a 1 cm{{sup|3}} molybdenum cube for comparison

Tantalum single crystal, some crystalline fragments, and a 1 cm{{sup|3}} tantalum cube for comparison

Tungsten rods with evaporated crystals, partially oxidized with colorful tarnish, and a 1 cm{{sup|3}} tungsten cube for comparison

alt=Three, dark broccoli shaped clumps of oxidised lead with grossly distended buds, and a cube of lead which has a dull silvery appearance.| oxidised lead

alt=A silvery molasses-like liquid being poured into a circular container with a height equivalent to a smaller coin on its edge| Mercury being

Electrum, a natural alloy of silver and gold, was often used for making coins. Shown is the Roman god Apollo, and on the obverse, a Delphi tripod (circa 310–305 BCE).

A plate made of pewter, an alloy of 85–99% tin and (usually) copper. Pewter was first used around the beginning of the Bronze Age in the Near East.

A pectoral (ornamental breastplate) made of tumbaga, an alloy of gold and copper

Arsenic, sealed in a container to prevent tarnishing

Bismuth in crystalline form, with a very thin oxidation layer, and a 1 cm{{sup|3}} bismuth cube

Potassium pearls under paraffin oil. Size of the largest pearl is 0.5 cm.

Aluminum chunk, 2.6 grams, {{nowrap|1=1 x 2 cm}}

Scandium, including a 1 cm{{sup|3}} cube

Lutetium, including a 1 cm{{sup|3}} cube

Sodium, for example, becomes a nonmetal at pressure of just under two million times atmospheric pressure.

Lithium

8 links

Chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3.

Lithium ingots with a thin layer of black nitride tarnish

Lithium is about as common as chlorine in the Earth's upper continental crust, on a per-atom basis.

Nova Centauri 2013 is the first in which evidence of lithium has been found.

Johan August Arfwedson is credited with the discovery of lithium in 1817

Hexameric structure of the n-butyllithium fragment in a crystal

Scatter plots of lithium grade and tonnage for selected world deposits, as of 2017

Lithium use in flares and pyrotechnics is due to its rose-red flame.

The launch of a torpedo using lithium as fuel

Lithium deuteride was used as fuel in the Castle Bravo nuclear device.

Estimates of global lithium uses in 2011 (picture) and 2019 (numbers below)
Ceramics and glass (18%)
Batteries (65%)
Lubricating greases (5%)
Continuous casting (3%)
Air treatment (1%)
Polymers
Primary aluminum production
Pharmaceuticals
Other (5%)

Like the other alkali metals (which are sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), caesium (Cs), and francium (Fr)), lithium has a single valence electron that is easily given up to form a cation.

Crystals of serandite, natrolite, analcime, and aegirine from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada

Mineral

7 links

In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.

Schist is a metamorphic rock characterized by an abundance of platy minerals. In this example, the rock has prominent sillimanite porphyroblasts as large as 3 cm.

Hübnerite, the manganese-rich end-member of the wolframite series, with minor quartz in the background

When minerals react, the products will sometimes assume the shape of the reagent; the product mineral is termed a pseudomorph of (or after) the reagent. Illustrated here is a pseudomorph of kaolinite after orthoclase. Here, the pseudomorph preserved the Carlsbad twinning common in orthoclase.

Topaz has a characteristic orthorhombic elongated crystal shape.

Diamond is the hardest natural material, and has a Mohs hardness of 10.

Perfect basal cleavage as seen in biotite (black), and good cleavage seen in the matrix (pink orthoclase).

Galena, PbS, is a mineral with a high specific gravity.

Carnotite (yellow) is a radioactive uranium-bearing mineral.

Aegirine, an iron-sodium clinopyroxene, is part of the inosilicate subclass.

Natrolite is a mineral series in the zeolite group; this sample has a very prominent acicular crystal habit.

Muscovite, a mineral species in the mica group, within the phyllosilicate subclass

Asbestiform tremolite, part of the amphibole group in the inosilicate subclass

An example of elbaite, a species of tourmaline, with distinctive colour banding.

Epidote often has a distinctive pistachio-green colour.

Black andradite, an end-member of the orthosilicate garnet group.

Native gold. Rare specimen of stout crystals growing off of a central stalk, size 3.7 x 1.1 x 0.4 cm, from Venezuela.

Red cinnabar (HgS), a mercury ore, on dolomite.

Sphalerite crystal partially encased in calcite from the Devonian Milwaukee Formation of Wisconsin

Pink cubic halite (NaCl; halide class) crystals on a nahcolite matrix (NaHCO3; a carbonate, and mineral form of sodium bicarbonate, used as baking soda).

These eight elements, summing to over 98% of the crust by weight, are, in order of decreasing abundance: oxygen, silicon, aluminium, iron, magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium.

Humphry Davy

5 links

British chemist and inventor from Cornwall who invented the Davy lamp and a very early form of arc lamp.

James Watt in 1792 by Carl Frederik von Breda

Sir Humphry Davy's Researches chemical and philosophical: chiefly concerning nitrous oxide (1800), pp. 556 and 557 (right), outlining potential anaesthetic properties of nitrous oxide in relieving pain during surgery

1802 satirical cartoon by James Gillray showing a Royal Institution lecture on pneumatics, with Davy holding the bellows and Count Rumford looking on at extreme right. Dr Thomas Garnett is the lecturer, holding the victim's nose.

Statue of Davy in Penzance, Cornwall, holding his safety lamp

Michael Faraday, portrait by Thomas Phillips c. 1841–1842

Davy's grave at Cimetière Plainpalais in Geneva

He is also remembered for isolating, by using electricity, several elements for the first time: potassium and sodium in 1807 and calcium, strontium, barium, magnesium and boron the following year, as well as for discovering the elemental nature of chlorine and iodine.