Article
Article
Sodium
Article By:
Sittig, Marshall Office of Research, Project Administration, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.
de Freitas, Duarte Mota Department of Chemistry, Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois.
Last reviewed:July 2018
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.631000
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A chemical element, Na, atomic number 11, and atomic weight 22.990. Sodium, found in Group 1 (also known as the alkali metals) of the periodic table between lithium and potassium, is a soft, silvery-white, reactive, and low-melting metal. Sodium is essential for both plant and animal life. In animals, sodium ions (Na+) control fluid balance and are important for nerve impulse transmission and muscle contraction. Sodium chloride (NaCl), or common salt, is found in nature and is the most important sodium compound in commerce. See also: Alkali metals; Periodic table
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