Chemical or Scientific Names of Common Substances By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Updated August 06, 2015. Chemical or scientific names are used to give an accurate description of a substance's composition. Even so, you rarely ask someone to pass the sodium chloride at the dinner table. It's important to remember that common names are inaccurate and vary from one place and time to another. Therefore, don't assume that you know the chemical composition of a substance based on its common name. This is a list of archaic chemical names and common names for chemicals, with their modern or IUPAC equivalent name. You also may be interested in the list of common chemicals and where to find them . Chemical Names and Nomenclature salt (NaCl) | sodium chloride | Britannica.com sodium chloride Alternative Titles: common salt, sodium chloride, table salt Related Topics salt Salt (NaCl), sodium chloride, mineral substance of great importance to human and animal health, as well as to industry. The mineral form halite , or rock salt, is sometimes called common salt to distinguish it from a class of chemical compounds called salts . Salt crystal magnified. U.S.Geological Survey Properties of common salt are shown in the table.

Salt is essential to the health of both people and animals. Table salt, used universally as a seasoning, is fine-grained and of high purity. To ensure that this hygroscopic (i.e., water-attracting) substance will remain free-flowing when exposed to the atmosphere, small quantities of sodium aluminosilicate, tricalcium phosphate , or magnesium silicate are added. Iodized salt —that is, salt to which small quantities of potassium iodide have been added—is widely used in areas where iodine is lacking from the diet, a deficiency that can cause swelling of the thyroid gland , commonly called goitre . Livestock also require salt; it is often made available in solid blocks. Learn about salt, including its health effects. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz The meat-packing, sausage-making, fish-curing, and food-processing industries use salt as a preservative or seasoning or both. It is employed for curing and preserving hides and as a brine for refrigeration. In the chemical industry , salt is required in the manufacture of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), hydrochloric acid , chlorine , and many other chemicals.

Salt is also employed in soap , glaze, and porcelain enamel manufacture and enters into metallurgical processes as a flux (a substance promoting fusing of metals). When applied to snow or ice , salt lowers the melting point of the mixture. Thus, large amounts are used in northern climates to help rid thoroughfares of accumulated snow and ice. Salt is used in water-softening equipment that removes calcium and magnesium compounds from water. An explanation of how salt is used in the winter to melt ice on roadways. © American Chemical Society (A Britannica Publishing Partner) History of use nitrous acid In some parts of the Western Hemisphere and in India, the use of salt was introduced by Europeans, but in parts of central Africa it is still a luxury available only to the rich. Where people live mainly on milk and raw or roasted meat (so that its natural salts are not lost), sodium chloride supplements are unnecessary; nomads with their flocks of sheep or herds of cattle, for example, never eat salt with their food. On the other hand, people who live mostly on cereal, vegetable, or boiled meat diets require supplements of salt.

The habitual use of salt is intimately connected with the advance from nomadic to agricultural life, a step in civilization that profoundly influenced the rituals and cults of almost all ancient nations. The gods were worshipped as the givers of the kindly fruits of the earth, and salt was usually included in sacrificial offerings consisting wholly or partly of cereal elements. Such offerings were prevalent among the Greeks and Romans and among a number of the Semitic peoples. Covenants were ordinarily made over a sacrificial meal, in which salt was a necessary element. The preservative qualities of salt made it a peculiarly fitting symbol of an enduring compact, sealing it with an obligation to fidelity . The word salt thus acquired connotations of high esteem and honour in ancient and modern languages. Examples include the Arab avowal “There is salt between us,” the Hebrew expression “to eat the salt of the palace,” and the modern Persian phrase namak ḥarām, “untrue to salt” (i.e., disloyal or ungrateful). In English the term “salt of the earth” describes a person held in high esteem. Chemistry: Fact or Fiction? Salt contributes greatly to our knowledge of the ancient highways of commerce.

One of the oldest roads in Italy is the Via Salaria ( Salt Route) over which Roman salt from Ostia was carried into other parts of Italy. Herodotus tells of a caravan route that united the salt oases of the Libyan Desert . The ancient trade between the Aegean and the Black Sea coast of southern Russia was largely dependent on the salt pans (ponds for evaporating seawater to obtain salt) at the mouth of the Dnieper River and on the salt fish brought from this district. Britannica Stories Leap Second Cakes of salt have been used as money in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa and in Tibet . In the Roman army an allowance of salt was made to officers and men; in imperial times, this salarium (from which the English word salary is derived) was converted into an allowance of money for salt. China, the United States, India, Germany, Canada, and Australia are the world’s largest salt producers in the early 21st century. Occurrence Seawater Though the material that gives seawater its salty flavour is composed of many substances, sodium chloride, or common salt, is by far the predominant compound .

On the assumption that 1 gallon (about 4 litres) of seawater contains 0.231 pound (about 105 grams) of salt and that rock salt on the average is 2.17 times as dense as water, it has been estimated that if the oceans of the world were completely dried up, they would yield at least 4.5 million cubic miles of rock salt, or about 14.5 times the bulk of the entire continent of Europe above the high-water mark. An explanation of why seawater is salty. Contunico © ZDF Enterprises GmbH, Mainz Seawater contains on the average about 3 percent salt, although the actual concentration varies from about 1 percent (in the polar seas) to 5 percent. Enclosed waters such as the Mediterranean and Red seas contain a higher proportion of salt than does the open ocean at the same latitude .

Irrespective of the source of the seawater, salt obtained by the evaporation of seawater has the following composition: sodium chloride 77.76 percent, magnesium chloride 10.88 percent, magnesium sulfate 4.74 percent, calcium sulfate 3.60 percent, potassium chloride 2.46 percent, magnesium bromide 0.22 percent, and calcium carbonate 0.34 percent. The first map of ocean salinity taken by the Aquarius/SAC-D spacecraft, August–September 2011. GSFC—JPL-Caltech/NASA World War II At one time almost all the salt used in commerce was produced from the evaporation of seawater, and sea salt still is a staple commodity in many maritime countries, especially where the climate is dry and the summer is long. Commercial salt is manufactured from rock salt, as well as from seawater and other natural and artificial brines . Most of the artificial brines are obtained by pumping water into underground salt beds. A considerable amount of brine itself is used directly in industrial countries.

Manufacture from rock salt The beds of rock salt are mined or quarried by the usual excavation methods, depending on the depths and thicknesses of the deposits and on local conditions. The mined rock salt sometimes is dissolved and the salt manufactured by treatment of the brine, as described below. The method affords opportunities for purification of the salt. When the rock salt is of a high degree of purity, as in Poland and the United States, the salt may be ground, screened, and marketed without further processing. The salt is mined in large lumps that are first crushed, then more finely ground and screened by size into various grades; the salt is then bulk-loaded into trucks, hoppers, or barges or loaded into bags for further handling. Bulk handling has been greatly facilitated by the use of anticaking agents which allow the salt to be stored uncovered and outdoors without becoming a hard mass again. Manufacture from seawater and brines Only a certain quantity of salt will dissolve in water at any given temperature. Once the solution contains as much salt as it can hold, it is said to be saturated; any further additions of salt will not dissolve. Evaporation is the reverse of this process.

When an aqueous solution of several salts ( seawater , for example) is evaporated, each of the salts precipitates as it reaches its point of saturation in the solution. Thus, the different salts in seawater will precipitate at different times, forming layers on the bottom of the evaporating pond. For seawater and many brines, the order of deposition is calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, potassium magnesium chloride, and magnesium chloride. Solar evaporation In maritime countries where there is a negative evaporation rate—i.e., the amount of water evaporating exceeds the amount of rainfall by at least 75 cm (about 30 inches)—salt is produced by solar evaporation from seawater. The processes used are similar in general principle from country to country, but details of equipment vary from sophisticated in the United States to quite primitive in developing nations. Salt drying on red clay. The salt was evaporated from seawater in the town of Guérande in … © Photocomptoir/Fotolia A preliminary concentration is usually accomplished by allowing the seawater to flow through a series of gates constructed of wood or a combination of wood and concrete into a series of shallow ponds separated by dikes.

In these ponds the solution is concentrated to a specific gravity of about 1.22; this means that a given volume of brine is 1.22 times as dense as a given volume of pure water. At this stage, suspended impurities such as sand, clay, and the less soluble salts such as calcium carbonate, or chalk , and calcium sulfate are removed. Solar evaporation of the Dead Sea water is hastened by adding dye to the water. The dye permits more heat to be absorbed from sunlight in thinner layers of brine so that shallow ponds may be used and the penetration of brine into the ground is reduced. Once it has been concentrated, the brine is run through a series of crystallizing pans, usually four in number, where the salt is deposited as evaporation proceeds. In the first crystallizing pan, the brine is concentrated to a specific gravity of 1.23 and remains partly contaminated with calcium sulfate. The specific gravity of the solution in the pan increases slowly during crystallization of the salt, reaching 1.24 in the second pan. In the third pan the specific gravity of the solution reaches 1.25, and the salt deposited there contains small amounts of magnesium sulfate as an impurity.

The final solution, termed bitterns , has a specific gravity of 1.25–1.26 and is used in some countries (United States and Israel) in the manufacture of potash , bromine , epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), and magnesium chloride. In developing countries the salt in each crystallizing pan is raked into rows, where it is allowed to drain for several days. After that it is collected into heaps, drained again, lifted from the pans, and finally dried. In industrial countries the salt is harvested mechanically and washed with saturated brine. It is then dewatered, washed with fresh water, and stored for further processing or direct sale. Use of artificial heat In areas where bedded deposits can be solution-mined, evaporated salt is recovered from these solutions with artificial heat. Some evaporated salt also is made from natural brine or solar salt. Formerly, brine was concentrated in open pans over fire. More recently, steam-jacketed vessels have been used. The largest amount of salt produced in the colder climates is rock salt.

The largest amount of evaporated salt is produced by multiple-effect vacuum evaporators, and an important quantity is made in so-called open crystallizers or grainers that produce a type of crystal preferred for use in some of the food industries. The brine, natural or artificial, is first pumped into settling tanks, where calcium and magnesium compounds may be removed by chemical treatment. In grainer operations the settled and filtered brine is delivered to the grainer, a long open trough heated with steam coils. The brine is fed into the grainer at approximately the same rate at which evaporation is taking place and at a temperature only slightly below that of the brine in the grainer. The residue of brine, or bitterns, may be removed continuously, once a day, or less often. Evaporation occurs at the surface of the liquid, and the crystals originate there. They remain at the surface, held up by the surface tension of the brine. The crystal grows at the top edges, becoming a small inverted hollow pyramid, or hopper. Eventually the hopper sinks and ceases to grow. When the crystals are recovered, the salt is largely in the form of flakes, hence the name flake salt.

When multiple-effect evaporators are used, the vacuum in each vessel is adjusted so that the vapour from the first vessel is hot enough to boil the brine in the second, the vapour from the second supplying the heat to operate the third vessel or effect. The brine is usually sent through the stages or effects in succession, although in the case of salt manufacture fresh brine may be fed to each stage if desired. With open pans, 4,500 to 5,400 kg (10,000 to 12,000 pounds) of steam are required to produce 900 kg (1 ton) of salt. With triple-effect evaporation, 630 kg (1,400 pounds) of steam produce 1 ton of salt. The Alberger process is partially a vacuum-pan and partially a grainer operation in which cubic crystals are formed in the solution fed to the grainer pans by a partial vacuum-pan evaporation. These seed crystals in the grainer produce a salt that is a mixture of the grainer-type flake and the flake grown on seed crystals.

About 1,360 kg (3,000 pounds) of steam are required to produce one ton of salt. Salt from the Alberger process is centrifuged (spun) from the brine and then dried. Table salt may have small amounts of aluminum calcium silicate, calcium silicate, magnesium silicate, tricalcium silicate, magnesium carbonate, or tricalcium phosphate added to keep it free-flowing. Iodized salt has potassium iodide added. In some countries yellow prussiate of soda, to prevent caking, is added in minute amounts as regulated by the government. Nacl - definition of Nacl by The Free Dictionary Nacl - definition of Nacl by The Free Dictionary Related to Nacl: NaCl structure sodium chloride n. A colorless or white crystalline compound, NaCl, used in the manufacture of chemicals and as a food preservative and seasoning. sodium chloride n (Elements & Compounds) common table salt; a soluble colourless crystalline compound occurring naturally as halite and in sea water: widely used as a seasoning and preservative for food and in the manufacture of chemicals, glass, and soap. Formula: NaCl.

Also called: salt salt (sɔlt) n. 1. a crystalline compound, sodium chloride, NaCl, occurring chiefly as a mineral or a constituent of seawater, and used for seasoning food and as a preservative. 2. any of a class of chemical compounds formed by neutralization of an acid by a base, a reaction in which hydrogen atoms of the acid are replaced by cations supplied by the base. 3. table salt mixed with an herb or seasoning as named: onion salt. 4. an element that gives liveliness or pungency. 5. sharp, biting wit. 6. a sailor, esp. an old or experienced one. v.t. 7. to season with salt. 8. to cure or preserve with salt. 9. to provide with salt: to salt cattle. 10. to treat with common salt or with any chemical salt. 11. to spread salt on so as to melt snow or ice. 12. to introduce rich ore fraudulently into (a mine, a mineral sample, etc.) to create a false impression of value. 13. salt away, a. Also, salt down. to preserve by adding salt to, as meat. b.

to save (money) for future use. 14. salt out, to separate (a dissolved substance) from a solution by the addition of a salt, esp. common salt. adj. 15. containing salt, or tasting of salt: a salt drink. 16. cured or preserved with salt: salt cod. 17. inundated by salt water. 1. take with a grain or pinch of salt, to be somewhat skeptical about. 2. worth one's salt, deserving of one's wages or salary. [before 900; (n. and adj.) Middle English; Old English sealt, c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Old Norse Gothic salt, Old High German, German salz; akin to Latin sāl, Greek háls; (v.) Middle English salten, Old English s(e)altan] salt′like`, adj. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (or Treaty).

sodium chloride common salt binary compound - chemical compound composed of only two elements atomic number 17 , chlorine , Cl - a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; best known as a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt (as in sea water) halite , rock salt - naturally occurring crystalline sodium chloride brine , saltwater , seawater - water containing salts; "the water in the ocean is all saltwater" Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: dye References in periodicals archive ? The medium is buffered to prevent shifts in the pH, has a low nutrient content to inhibit the growth of other bacterial species, and contains adequate NaCl and sodium thioglycollate (a reducing agent).

Fabrication of polylactic acid/polyethylene glycol (PLA/PEG) porous scaffold by supercritical C[O.sub.2] foaming and particle leaching Mixture of 3:0 as a control sample(treatment A), 3:1 (treatment B)and 1:1 (w/w) (treatment C) NaCl and KCl were used in the salting process of experimental cheeses and the degree of substitution of Na by K in the cheeses was found to be about 0, 25 and 50% respectively. Study of partial substitution of NaCl with KCl on aroma characteristics of UF white cheese 5 and 0% NaCl with PEF killed the bacteria better than with the use of 1% NaCl. Pulsed electric field effects to reduce the level of Campylobacter spp. in scalder and chiller water during broiler chicken processing The medium was supplemented with a specified amount of added NaCl and 10 mg of yeast extract, adjusted to pH -7 (Alva and Peyton 2003).

Elements, compounds, and mixtures Elements, compounds, and mixtures Non-metals with Non-metals Long before chemists knew the formulas for chemical compounds, they developed a system of nomenclature that gave each compound a unique name. Today we often use chemical formulas, such as NaCl, C12H22O11, and Co(NH3)6(ClO4)3, to describe chemical compounds. But we still need unique names that unambiguously identify each compound. The names of ionic compounds are written by listing the name of the positive ion followed by the name of the negative ion. NaCl NaHCO3 sodium bicarbonate We therefore need a series of rules that allow us to unambiguously name positive and negative ions before we can name the salts these ions form. Monatomic positive ions have the name of the element from which they are formed. Na+ Sr2+ strontium Some metals form positive ions in more than one oxidation state. One of the earliest methods of distinguishing between these ions used the suffixes -ous and -ic added to the Latin name of the element to represent the lower and higher oxidation states, respectively.

Fe2+ Cu2+ cupric Chemists now use a simpler method, in which the charge on the ion is indicated by a Roman numeral in parentheses immediately after the name of the element. Fe2+ Polyatomic positive ions often have common names ending with the suffix -onium. H3O+ Negative ions that consist of a single atom are named by adding the suffix -ide to the stem of the name of the element. F- Practice Problem 4 Predict the formula of the compound that forms when magnesium metal reacts with nitrogen to form magnesium nitride. Naming Polyatomic Ions At first glance, the nomenclature of the polyatomic negative ions in the table above seems hopeless. There are several general rules, however, that can bring some order out of this apparent chaos. The name of the ion usually ends in either -ite or -ate. The -ite ending indicates a low oxidation state. Thus,the NO2- ion is the nitrite ion. The -ate ending indicates a high oxidation state. The NO3- ion, for example, is the nitrate ion. The prefix hypo- is used to indicate the very lowest oxidation state. The ClO- ion, for example, is the hypochlorite ion.

The prefix per- (as in hyper-) is used to indicate the very highest oxidation state. The ClO4- ion is therefore the perchlorate ion. There are only a handful of exceptions to these generalizations. The names of the hydroxide (OH-), cyanide (CN-), and peroxide (O22-) ions, for example, have the -ide ending because they were once thought to be monatomic ions. Practice Problem 5 The bone and tooth enamel in your body contain ionic compounds such as calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite. Predict the formula of calcium phosphate, which contains Ca2+ and PO43- ions. Calculate the value of x, if the formula of hydroxyapatite is Cax(PO4)3(OH). 5 penta- 10 deca- The prefix mono- is seldom used because it is redundant. The principal exception to this rule is carbon monoxide (CO). Naming Acids Simple covalent compounds that contain hydrogen, such as HCl, HBr, and HCN, often dissolve in water to produce acids. These solutions are named by adding the prefix hydro- to the name of the compound and then replacing the suffix -ide with -ic.

For example, hydrogen chloride (HCl) dissolves in water to form hydrochloric acid; hydrogen bromide (HBr) forms hydrobromic acid; and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) forms hydrocyanic acid. Many of the oxygen-rich polyatomic negative ions in Table 2.1 form acids that are named by replacing the suffix -ate with -ic and the suffix -ite with -ous. Acids containing ions ending with ide often become hydro -ic acid What are some examples of compounds? | eNotes What are some examples of compounds? enotechris | College Teacher | (Level 2) Senior Educator Posted on January 19, 2010 at 7:17 AM Compounds are substances that can be broken down through various chemical processes into elements. Elements are substances that cannot be broken down any further; all the atoms of an element are identical. However, a compound contains at least two different kinds of elements. Combinations of the various elements creates compounds. Different ratios of those same elements creates different compounds. Water, being composed of the elements hydrogen and oxygen, is therefore a compound, as is carbon dioxide, which is composed of the elements carbon and oxygen.

Ammonia, composed of the elements nitrogen and hydrogen, is also a compound. Adding an additional atom of oxygen to a water molecule creates a new compound -- although it still just contains hydrogen and oxygen, like water (H2O), it has two atoms of each. This is the compound hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). like 4 dislike 0 pohnpei397 | College Teacher | (Level 3) Distinguished Educator Posted on January 19, 2010 at 5:58 AM A compound, when we are talking about chemistry, is simply any substance that is made up of two or more elements which react with one another. The elements must be present in fixed ratios. So water is an example of an element. In all pure water, there are two parts of hydrogen to one part of oxygen. Similarly, carbon dioxide fits the criteria for being a compound. You have two elements, carbon and oxygen, that react to bond to one another. There is always two parts oxygen to one part carbon in this compound.

like 3 dislike 0 megamind-616 | Middle School Teacher | (Level 1) Associate Educator Posted on November 2, 2015 at 10:58 AM A chemical compound is a chemical substance that is made of two or more atoms of different elements that share a chemical bond. A chemical formula represents the ratio of atoms per element that make up the chemical compound. This is done via the use of subscripts. The subscript that lies to the right of the symbol for each element indicates the number of atoms of that element that make up that chemical compound. Examples of chemical compounds are as follows: - Water (H2O, consisting of 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom) - Carbon dioxide (CO2, consisting of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms) - Sodium Chloride (NaCl, consisting of one sodium atom and one chloride atom) - Methane (CH4, consisting of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms) The second link provided below show a slue of other examples of chemical compounds.

Sources: krishna-agrawala | College Teacher | (Level 3) Valedictorian Posted on January 19, 2010 at 11:15 AM Compounds are substances that have molecules containing atoms of more than one elements. Compounds are formed by chemical combination of elements. Perhaps the most common compound we know is water, which has the chemical formula H2O. water is formed when hydrogen gas reacts chemically with oxygen. Each molecule of water contains two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. Some other common compounds include the following: Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) formed by combination of carbon and oxygen. Human beings absorb oxygen from the air they breathe, which combines with carbon present in the food in the body to produce energy. During this process carbon dioxide is produces which is released with the air we breathe out. Common salt (NaCl), which has the chemical name of sodium chloride and is composed of sodium and chlorine. Alcohol (C6H5OH) is an organic compound composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

like 4 dislike 0 February 24, 2010 at 8:44 PM Compound is a chemistry term, which refers to a pure substance that contains two or more elements chemically combined together during a chemical reaction. It must be in a fixed composition, and can be broken down by heat during thermal decomposition or by using electricity. There are many types of compound, like carbon dioxide (carbon and oxygen), common salt (sodium, chlorine), marble ( calcium, carbon, oxygen), copper (II) sulphate (copper, sulphur, oxygen) and hydrogen chloride (chlorine and hydrogen). Here's a example. Water (H2O) is a compound made by joing together two atoms of hydrogen to one atom of oxygen and the ratio between them is 2:1 like 3 dislike 0 Compounds are pure chemical material that consists of two or more elements combined together. There are many compounds such as Aluminum nitride, Aluminum oxide, Aluminum chloride, Aluminum hydroxide, Aluminum nitrate, Chromium(III) chloride, Cerium(III) chloride, and Cacodylic acid. Some of the more common compounds are table salt which is NaCl.

Soidium Nitrate is also known as Salt Peter and when combined with sugar makes smoke bombs. They are relatively safe to make but should be lit outside. To make them take 1 teaspoon of sugar and one teaspoon of Sodium Nitrate (found at a pharmacy and costs about ($8-$10). Take a frying pan and heat the two ingredients until they melt and look Carmel colored. Put onto tin foil in small clumps. Take outside and light. sodium (Na) | chemical element | Britannica.com chemical element hydrogen (H) Sodium (Na), chemical element of Group 1 (Ia) of the periodic table (the alkali metal group). Sodium is a very soft, silvery-white metal . Sodium is the most common alkali metal and the sixth most abundant element on Earth, comprising 2.8 percent of the Earth’s crust. It occurs abundantly in nature in compounds , especially common salt —sodium chloride (NaCl)—which forms the mineral halite and comprises about 80 percent of the dissolved constituents of seawater. Properties and production Sodium is the most abundant of the alkali metals. Sodium chloride (table salt) is the most common compound of sodium, but many others also are known.

Sir Humphry Davy first prepared sodium in its elemental form (1807) by the electrolysis of fused sodium hydroxide (NaOH). Sodium is an important constituent of a number of silicate materials, such as feldspars and micas. There are huge deposits of rock salt in various parts of the world, and sodium nitrate deposits exist in Chile and Peru. Because sodium is extremely reactive, it never occurs in the free state in the Earth’s crust. The sodium content of the sea is approximately 1.05 percent, corresponding to a concentration of approximately 3 percent of sodium halides. Sodium has been identified in both the atomic and ionic forms in the spectra of stars, the Sun, and the interstellar medium . Analysis of meteorites indicates that the silicate material present has an average content of approximately 4.6 atoms of sodium for every 100 atoms of silicon . alkali metal: Lighter than water, it can be cut with a knife at room temperature but is brittle at low temperatures. It conducts heat and electricity easily and exhibits the photoelectric effect (emission of electrons when exposed to light) to a marked degree.

Sodium is by far the most commercially important alkali metal. Most processes for the production of sodium involve the electrolysis of molten sodium chloride. Inexpensive and available in tank-car quantities, the element is used to produce gasoline additives, polymers such as nylon and synthetic rubber, pharmaceuticals, a number of metals such as tantalum , titanium , and silicon; it is also widely used as a heat exchanger and in sodium vapour lamps. The yellow colour of the sodium vapour lamp and the sodium flame (the basis of an analytical test for sodium) is identified with two prominent lines in the yellow portion of the light spectrum. Significant uses neptunium (Np) Two of the earliest uses of metallic sodium were in the manufacture of sodium cyanide and sodium peroxide. Significant quantities were used in the manufacture of tetraethyl lead as a gasoline additive, a market that disappeared with the advent of unleaded gasoline. Substantial amounts of sodium are used in the manufacture of sodium alkyl sulfates as the principal ingredient in synthetic detergents. Sodium also is used as a starting material in the manufacture of sodium hydride (NaH) and sodium borohydride (NaBH4).

In addition, sodium is employed in the production of dyes and dye intermediates, in the synthesis of perfumes, and in a wide variety of organic reductions. It is used in the purification of hydrocarbons and in the polymerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons. In many organic applications, sodium is used in the form of dispersions in hydrocarbon liquid media. Molten sodium is an excellent heat-transfer fluid, and because of this property it has found use as coolant in liquid-metal fast-breeder reactors. Sodium is used extensively in metallurgy as a deoxidant and as a reducing agent for the preparation of calcium , zirconium , titanium, and other transition metals. Commercial production of titanium involves reduction of titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) with sodium. The products are metallic Ti and NaCl. Principal compounds Sodium is highly reactive, forming a wide variety of compounds with nearly all inorganic and organic anions. It normally has an oxidation state of +1, and its single valence electron is lost with great ease, yielding the colourless sodium ion (Na+). Compounds that contain the sodium anion, Na-, have also been synthesized. The principal commercial sodium compounds are the chloride, carbonate , and sulfate .

Britannica Stories Ringling Bros. Folds Its Tent The most important and familiar sodium compound is sodium chloride, or common salt, NaCl. Most other sodium compounds are prepared either directly or indirectly from sodium chloride, which occurs in seawater, in natural brines, and as rock salt. Large quantities of sodium chloride are employed in the production of other heavy (industrial) chemicals as well as being used directly. During the period 2001–06, for example, American salt sales averaged about 28 million tons per year, of which about 16 million tons were used for ice and snow removal, 3.4 million tons for water conditioning, 1.6 million tons for food, and 2.2 million tons for the production of agricultural and industrial chemicals. Periodic Table of the Elements Other major commercial applications of sodium chloride include its use in the manufacture of chlorine and sodium hydroxide by electrolytic decomposition and in the production of sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) by the Solvay process. The electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride produces sodium hypochlorite , NaOCl, a compound of sodium, oxygen , and chlorine used in large quantities in household chlorine bleach.

Sodium hypochlorite is also utilized as an industrial bleach for paper pulp and textiles, for chlorination of water, and in certain medicinal preparations as an antiseptic and a fungicide. It is an unstable compound known only in aqueous solution. The carbonates contain the carbonate ion (CO32–). Sodium bicarbonate , also called sodium hydrogen carbonate, or bicarbonate of soda, NaHCO3, is a source of carbon dioxide and so is used as an ingredient in baking powders, in effervescent salts and beverages, and as the main constituent of dry-chemical fire extinguishers. Its slight alkalinity makes it useful in treating gastric or urinary hyperacidity and acidosis. It is also employed in certain industrial processes, as in tanning and the preparation of wool. Sodium carbonate , or soda ash, Na2CO3, is widely distributed in nature, occurring as constituents of mineral waters and as the solid minerals natron, trona , and thermonatrite . Large quantities of this alkaline salt are used in making glass , detergents, and cleansers. Sodium carbonate is treated with carbon dioxide to produce sodium bicarbonate.

The monohydrate form of sodium carbonate, Na2CO3·H2O, is employed extensively in photography as a constituent in developers. Connect with Britannica Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Pinterest Sodium sulfate , Na2SO4, is a white crystalline solid or powder employed in the manufacture of kraft paper, paperboard, glass, and detergents and as a raw material for the production of various chemicals. It is obtained either from deposits of the sodium sulfate minerals mirabilite and thenardite or synthetically by the treatment of sodium chloride with sulfuric acid. The crystallized product is a hydrate, Na2SO4·10H2O, commonly known as Glauber’s salt. Sodium thiosulfate (sodium hyposulfite), Na2 S 2O3, is used by photographers to fix developed negatives and prints; it acts by dissolving the part of the silver salts coated onto film which remain unchanged by exposure to light. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is a corrosive, white crystalline solid that readily absorbs moisture until it dissolves. Commonly called caustic soda, or lye, sodium hydroxide is the most widely used industrial alkali.

It is highly corrosive to animal and vegetable tissue. The alkaline solutions it forms when dissolved in water neutralize acids in various commercial processes: in petroleum refining, it removes sulfuric and organic acids; in soapmaking, it reacts with fatty acids. Solutions of NaOH are used in the treatment of cellulose and in the manufacture of many chemicals. Sodium nitrate , or soda nitre, NaNO3, is commonly called Chile saltpetre , after its mineral deposits in northern Chile, the principal source. Sodium nitrate is used as a nitrogenous fertilizer and as a component of dynamite. Chemical properties Generally, elemental sodium is more reactive than lithium , and it reacts with water to form a strong base , NaOH. Its chemistry is well explored. Reaction with air, water, and hydrogen Sodium is ordinarily quite reactive with air, and the reactivity is a function of the relative humidity, or water-vapour content of the air. The corrosion of solid sodium by oxygen also is accelerated by the presence of small amounts of impurities in the sodium. In ordinary air, sodium metal reacts to form a sodium hydroxide film, which can rapidly absorb carbon dioxide from the air, forming sodium bicarbonate.

Sodium does not react with nitrogen , so sodium is usually kept immersed in a nitrogen atmosphere (or in inert liquids such as kerosene or naphtha). It is significantly more reactive in air as a liquid than as a solid, and the liquid can ignite at about 125 °C (257 °F). In a comparatively dry atmosphere, sodium burns quietly, giving off a dense white caustic smoke, which can cause choking and coughing. The temperature of burning sodium increases rapidly to more than 800 °C (1,500 °F), and under these conditions the fire is extremely difficult to extinguish. Special dry-powder fire extinguishers are required, since sodium reacts with carbon dioxide, a common propellant in regular fire extinguishers. Britannica Lists & Quizzes Eyjafjallajökull volcano Generally, alkali metals react with halogen gases, the degree of reactivity decreasing with increasing atomic weight of the halogen. Sodium is no exception to this statement. Under certain conditions of reaction, sodium and halogen vapours react to produce light (chemiluminescence).

Halogen acids, such as hydrochloric acid, react vigorously with sodium, yielding the sodium halides. The reactions are highly exothermic, with heats of reaction (energy given off) of −71.8 and −76.2 kcal, respectively, for the reactions with hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acids. Sodium is attacked by other strong mineral acids to form the corresponding salts. It reacts with the fumes of nitric acid at 15 °C (59 °F) to form sodium nitrate and with acetic and sulfuric acids to form sodium acetate and sodium sulfate. With molten sulfur it reacts violently to produce polysulfides; under more controlled conditions it reacts with organic solutions of sulfur. Liquid selenium and tellurium both react vigorously with solid sodium to form selenides and tellurides. Sodium shows relatively little reactivity with carbon, although lamellar (layerlike) materials can be prepared in which sodium is present between graphite layers. At 625 °C (1,157 °F) carbon monoxide reacts with sodium to form sodium carbide and sodium carbonate.

With the exception of the oxides of the Group 4 (IVb) metals (titanium, zirconium, and hafnium), the oxides of the transition metals are all reduced to the respective metals with elemental sodium. Sodium also reacts with a large number of metallic halides, displacing the metal from the salt and forming a sodium halide in the process. This reaction is used in the preparation of several of the transition metals themselves, including titanium and tantalum. Sodium and all the other alkali metals dissolve in liquid ammonia to give intense blue solutions, and at ordinary temperatures a slow reaction between sodium and ammonia occurs to form sodamide, NaNH2, and hydrogen, similar to the reaction of sodium with water to give NaOH and hydrogen. The reactions are Na + NH3 → NaNH2+ 1/2 H2 Na + H2O → NaOH + 1/2 H2 The reaction of alkali metal-ammonia solutions to form the amide and hydrogen can be catalyzed by the addition of many metals and metal oxides. Liquid ammonia is often used as a solvent for sodium, allowing a number of reactions to occur at ordinary temperatures that would otherwise need heat.

Sodium superoxide (NaO2), for example, can be formed by passing oxygen through ammonia solutions of sodium at −77 °C (−107 °F). Ammonia also serves as a solvent for reactions of sodium with arsenic , tellurium, antimony , bismuth , and a number of other low-melting metals. Sodium-ammonia solutions are used to blacken polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) to prepare its surface for cementing to other materials. The high reducing power of sodium-ammonia solutions makes them useful in a number of organic reactions known as Birch reductions. Organic reactions The organic reactions of sodium have been studied to a greater extent than those of any of the other alkali metals. Sodium reacts with anhydrous alcohols to form the respective alcoholates (or alkoxides) according to Na + ROH → RONa + 1/2 H2, in which R is the organic portion of the alcohol (R = CH3- for methanol, CH3CH2- for ethanol , etc.). The reaction is most vigorous with methanol and decreases with increasing molecular weight of the alcohol.

Sodium methoxide is produced on an industrial scale by reaction of sodium with excess methanol. Organic acids react with sodium to form sodium salts. The large negative free energy of formation of sodium halides permits the dehalogenation of a number of organic halides, the formation of the sodium halide being energetically favoured. The so-called Wurtz reaction—based on this principle—is used in organic synthesis to a considerable extent: 2RCl + 2Na → R−R +2NaCl. By this reaction, octane can be made from bromobutane and sodium. Organosodium compounds include a number in which the sodium atom is bonded directly to a carbon atom; an example is methylsodium, Na–CH3. Such compounds can be prepared by the action of sodium on mercury dialkyls or diaryls, as in the following equation: Hg(CH3)2 + 2Na → 2NaCH3 + Hg. Sodium reacts violently with a number of halogenated hydrocarbons. For example, a violent explosion occurs when a mixture of carbon tetrachloride and sodium is subjected to shock.

Even when the sodium is diluted to a considerable extent—as in sodium amalgam—a brisk reaction with carbon tetrachloride occurs. Reaction with metals Sodium is completely miscible with the alkali metals below it in the periodic table (potassium, rubidium , and cesium). A eutectic (that is, an alloy that melts lower than its components) melting at −10 °C (14 °F) is formed in the sodium-potassium system and is known commercially as NaK. Its composition is approximately 78 percent potassium, and it is used as a heat-transfer fluid and as an organic reactant. The eutectics formed in the sodium-rubidium and sodium-cesium binary systems melt, respectively, at −4.5 and −30 °C (24 and −22 °F). Sodium is the minor component with potassium and cesium of the ternary alloy NaKCs, melting at −78 °C (−108 °F). This fluid is the lowest-melting liquid alloy yet isolated. Sodium also forms alloys with the alkaline-earth metals.

Beryllium is soluble in sodium only to the extent of a few atomic percent at approximately 800 °C (1,500 °F). Liquid sodium and magnesium are only partially miscible. The degree of solubility in sodium of the alkaline-earth metals increases with increasing atomic weight, with the result that the solubility of calcium is 10 percent by weight at 700 °C (1,300 °F). In the sodium-strontium system, there is a considerable degree of miscibility. Sodium forms a number of compounds with barium , and several eutectics exist in the system. The precious metals, such as silver, gold , platinum , palladium , and iridium , and the white metals, such as lead , tin , bismuth, and antimony, alloy to an appreciable extent with liquid sodium. Cadmium and mercury also react with sodium, and a number of compounds exist in both binary systems. Seven sodium-mercury compounds, or amalgams, exist, with Hg2Na having the highest melting point (354 °C, or 669 °F).

Sodium amalgams are used chiefly for carrying out reactions in situations in which pure elemental sodium would be violently reactive and difficult to control. The solubility of transition metals in alkali metals is generally very low, often in the 1–10-parts per million range even at temperatures in excess of 500 °C (930 °F). Nuclear properties Natural sodium is the stable isotope of mass 23. Of the radioactive artificial isotopes, sodium-22 (2.6-year half-life, the longest half-life of a sodium isotope) is used as a radioactive tracer for natural sodium. Sodium-24 (15-hour half-life) is limited in use by its short life and is produced by irradiation in a nuclear reactor. Because of this reaction, a sodium-cooled reactor must have a second heat-transfer loop so that radioactive sodium does not come in contact with the environment . Other isotopes have half-lives of a minute or less. Biological properties Sodium salts, particularly sodium chloride, are found almost everywhere in biological material. Sodium is an essential element for life, as is potassium, and the two elements maintain a definite balance within the cell structure.

Electrolyte balance between the inside of the cell and the outside is maintained by “active transport” of potassium ions into the cell and sodium ions out of the cell. Most of the biological effects of sodium salts are the result of the cation (Na+), with the negative counter-ion apparently not playing a dominant role. The presence of salinity in soils is often detrimental to plant growth. Sodium ions replace calcium and other ions in clay complexes, transforming the clay to a sticky mass; water percolation is then drastically reduced, and the basicity of the soil rises markedly. The tolerance of fish to changes in salinity is often quite remarkable. Many marine bacteria and diatoms are able to tolerate salt concentrations as great as 25 percent. The minimum sodium requirement for mammals appears to be 0.05 percent of the diet, corresponding in a normal adult to a requirement of 1–2 grams (0.04–0.07 ounce) of salt per day, which results in an average sodium content of body tissues of 0.24 percent.

There is a wide variation of sodium content in the different tissues, with whole blood containing approximately 0.62 percent sodium chloride, whereas skin has a sodium content of less than 0.1 percent. There is a relationship between salt content and water balance of the body; a low salt intake causes loss of water. Considerable quantities of sodium are lost through the skin by perspiration, and considerable quantities can be excreted in the urine. Element Properties sodium - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) Life could not exist without compounds of sodium. These compounds hold water in body tissues, and a severe deficiency of sodium can cause death. Blood contains sodium compounds in solution. Sodium compounds are used in industry in the manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, in metallurgy, in sodium vapor lamps, and in the production of hundreds of everyday products. One of the most common sodium compounds is table salt, or sodium chloride (NaCl). In its pure form sodium is a silver-white, soft and waxy metallic element. It is the sixth most abundant element on Earth and occurs in more than trace amounts in the stars and sun.

Article History Substances and Mixtures About Watch and Favorite Watch Watching this resources will notify you when proposed changes or new versions are created so you can keep track of improvements that have been made. Favorite Favoriting this resource allows you to save it in the “My Resources” tab of your account. There, you can easily access this resource later when you’re ready to customize it or assign it to your students. Substances and Mixtures Substances are composed of pure elements or chemically bonded elements, whereas mixtures are composed of non-bonded substances. Learning Objective Distinguish chemical substances from mixtures Key Points Matter can be broken down into two categories: pure substances and mixtures . Pure substances are further broken down into elements and compounds . Mixtures are physically combined structures that can be separated into their original components. A chemical substance is composed of one type of atom or molecule . A mixture is composed of different types of atoms or molecules that are not chemically bonded. A heterogeneous mixture is a mixture of two or more chemical substances where the various components can be visually distinguished. A homogeneous mixture is a type of mixture in which the composition is uniform and every part of the solution has the same properties.

Various separation techniques exist in order to separate matter, including include distillation, filtration, evaporation and chromatography. Matter can be in the same phase or in two different phases for this separation to take place. Terms Full Text Chemical Substances In chemistry , a chemical substance is a form of matter that has constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. It cannot be separated into components without breaking chemical bonds . Chemical substances can be solids , liquids , gases, or plasma . Changes in temperature or pressure can cause substances to shift between the different phases of matter. An element is a chemical substance that is made up of a particular kind of atom and hence cannot be broken down or transformed by a chemical reaction into a different element. All atoms of an element have the same number of protons , though they may have different numbers of neutrons and electrons . A pure chemical compound is a chemical substance that is composed of a particular set of molecules or ions that are chemically bonded. Two or more elements combined into one substance through a chemical reaction, such as water, form a chemical compound. All compounds are substances, but not all substances are compounds. A chemical compound can be either atoms bonded together in molecules or crystals in which atoms, molecules or ions form a crystalline lattice .

Compounds made primarily of carbon and hydrogen atoms are called organic compounds, and all others are called inorganic compounds. Compounds containing bonds between carbon and a metal are called organometallic compounds. Chemical substances are often called 'pure' to set them apart from mixtures. A common example of a chemical substance is pure water; it always has the same properties and the same ratio of hydrogen to oxygen whether it is isolated from a river or made in a laboratory. Other chemical substances commonly encountered in pure form are diamond (carbon), gold, table salt (sodium chloride), and refined sugar (sucrose). Simple or seemingly pure substances found in nature can in fact be mixtures of chemical substances. For example, tap water may contain small amounts of dissolved sodium chloride and compounds containing iron, calcium, and many other chemical substances. Pure distilled water is a substance, but seawater, since it contains ions and complex molecules, is a mixture. Chemical Mixtures A mixture is a material system made up of two or more different substances, which are mixed but not combined chemically. A mixture refers to the physical combination of two or more substances in which the identities of the individual substances are retained.

Mixtures take the form of alloys , solutions, suspensions, and colloids . Sodium chloride - definition of sodium chloride by The Free Dictionary Sodium chloride - definition of sodium chloride by The Free Dictionary Related to sodium chloride: Sodium chlorite sodium chloride n. A colorless or white crystalline compound, NaCl, used in the manufacture of chemicals and as a food preservative and seasoning. sodium chloride n (Elements & Compounds) common table salt; a soluble colourless crystalline compound occurring naturally as halite and in sea water: widely used as a seasoning and preservative for food and in the manufacture of chemicals, glass, and soap. Formula: NaCl. Also called: salt salt (sɔlt) n. 1. a crystalline compound, sodium chloride, NaCl, occurring chiefly as a mineral or a constituent of seawater, and used for seasoning food and as a preservative. 2. any of a class of chemical compounds formed by neutralization of an acid by a base, a reaction in which hydrogen atoms of the acid are replaced by cations supplied by the base. 3. table salt mixed with an herb or seasoning as named: onion salt. 4. an element that gives liveliness or pungency. 5.

sharp, biting wit. 6. a sailor, esp. an old or experienced one. v.t. 7. to season with salt. 8. to cure or preserve with salt. 9. to provide with salt: to salt cattle. 10. to treat with common salt or with any chemical salt. 11. to spread salt on so as to melt snow or ice. 12. to introduce rich ore fraudulently into (a mine, a mineral sample, etc.) to create a false impression of value. 13. salt away, a. Also, salt down. to preserve by adding salt to, as meat. b. to save (money) for future use. 14. salt out, to separate (a dissolved substance) from a solution by the addition of a salt, esp. common salt. adj. 15. containing salt, or tasting of salt: a salt drink. 16. cured or preserved with salt: salt cod. 17. inundated by salt water. 1. take with a grain or pinch of salt, to be somewhat skeptical about. 2. worth one's salt, deserving of one's wages or salary. [before 900; (n.

and adj.) Middle English; Old English sealt, c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Old Norse Gothic salt, Old High German, German salz; akin to Latin sāl, Greek háls; (v.) Middle English salten, Old English s(e)altan] salt′like`, adj. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (or Treaty). sodium chloride common salt binary compound - chemical compound composed of only two elements atomic number 17 , chlorine , Cl - a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens; best known as a heavy yellow irritating toxic gas; used to purify water and as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; occurs naturally only as a salt (as in sea water) halite , rock salt - naturally occurring crystalline sodium chloride brine , saltwater , seawater - water containing salts; "the water in the ocean is all saltwater" Translations Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us , add a link to this page, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content . Link to this page: dye References in classic literature ?

Lloyd's discovery of the "death bacillus" of the sea toad, and his experiments on it with potassium cyanide, sent his name and that of his university ringing round the world; nor was Paul a whit behind when he succeeded in producing laboratory colloids exhibiting amoeba-like activities, and when he cast new light upon the processes of fertilization through his startling experiments with simple sodium chlorides and magnesium solutions on low forms of marine life.

Top crime writer calls for clearer salt labels Under the agreements, which are each 20 years or more in length, Tetra will acquire its bromine requirements from Chemtura; Tetra will make a significant investment in the construction of a processing facility on property adjacent to Chemtura's El Dorado, AR, facility for the extraction of calcium chloride and other salts from tall brines purchased from Chemtura; Tetra will make an investment in Chemtura's bromine operations; Tetra will sell sodium chloride and magnesium hydroxide extracted from the tail brine to Chemtura for use as a feedstock for chlorine production and as a flame retardant and/or neutralization agent, respectively; and Chemtura will have the right to participate in future development or purchase of Tetra's brine leases, should Tetra elect to joint develop or divest.

Question: NaCl is the chemical compound of which common substance?
Answer: Salt (Sodium Chloride)