Na Sodium 23.0 Facts about Sodium Sodium was discovered by Sir Humphrey Davy in the year 1807 in England. Sodium is used for heat transfer, fluids in reactors, in compounds or salt, and preservation of food. The atomic mass of sodium is 23.0. Sodium means metal of soda. Sodium is the second member of the family of Alkali metals.
Sodium is soft, malleable and ductile.
Sodium can be found in huge quantities in underground deposits or salt mines, seawater and other natural waters. Sodium oxidizes immediately when exposed to air, reacts violently when put with water forming sodium Hydroxide and Hydrogen. The most important sodium compound is sodium chloride or common salt. Another important compound is sodium bicarbonate or simply baking soda. Sodium is used in the manufacture of tetraethyl lead and as a cooling agent in nuclear reactors.