Sodium

Definition

Sodium is a chemical element with symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group on the periodic table.

Related terms

Alkali Metal:

These are highly reactive metals found in Group 1 of the periodic table. Sodium is one of the alkali metals.

Atomic Mass:

It refers to the mass of an atom relative to carbon-12 and is expressed in atomic mass units (amu). Sodium has an atomic mass of approximately 23 amu.

Electron Configuration:

This term describes how electrons are arranged around an atom's nucleus. The electron configuration for sodium is 2-8-1, meaning it has two electrons in its innermost shell, eight electrons in its second shell, and one electron in its outermost shell.