Many sodium compounds are common household items. For example, most of us will find our food tasteless without a substance called sodium chloride. Another sodium compound called sodium bicarbonate is an inevitable ingredient for baking. The former is none other than table salt, and the latter, baking soda.
Sodium is the sixth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, and is found in many minerals. It is highly reactive. It is a soft metal; you can easily cut it with a kitchen knife into pieces. The element appears silvery-white in colour.
Sodium has been in use for a very long time, and its compounds have had great historical significance. The element has been used for treating patients and as a form of currency for thousands of years.
Salt, a sodium compound, has been known to be part of human diet from prehistoric times. People in Ancient Egypt knew the use of a substance called natron which they used to mummify dead bodies. Natron dried out the internal organs, thus preserving it for a long time. This substance is a sodium compound found naturally on Earth. Atomic number of this element is 11, and the symbol is Na.
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