Sodium

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sodium

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the element symbol?Na
2. What is the atomic number?11
3. What is sodium and why is it so reactive?Sodium is a soft, silvery metal that has one electron it wants to give away, making it very reactive. It reacts explosively with water and quickly oxidizes in air.
4. How did scientists first get pure sodium metal?Sir Humphry Davy used electrolysis in 1807, passing electric current through molten sodium hydroxide to separate sodium metal.

Valence Electron: An electron in the outermost shell of an atom, involved in chemical bonding.
Osmotic Pressure: The pressure required to prevent the passage of solvent across a semipermeable membrane.
Cation: A positively charged ion.
Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel: A protein in cell membranes that opens and closes in response to changes in electrical voltage.