Properties of Sodium

Physical properties 

↪ Sodium is silvery white and soft metal.
↪ It is lighter than water 
↪ It is good conductor of heat and electricity.
↪ Its M.P. is 97.5oC and B.P. is 883°C.

Chemical properties

1. Action with air
↪ Sodium forms its oxide in air and absorbs moisture to give sodium hydroxide which further combines with CO₂ of air to form sodium carbonate and sodium gets tarnished. ↪ This is the reason that sodium metal is stored in kerosene↪ When sodium is heated in air, it burns with golden yellow flame forming peroxide and some oxide.

2. Action with water
↪ Sodium reacts with water vigorously to give hydrogen and alkali. 

3. Reducing property↪ Sodium acts as good reducing agent as it has lower I.E. 

4. Action with non metals

• Action with halogens
  ↪ Sodium reacts with halogen to give sodium halides.
  
  


• Action with H₂
  ↪ Sodium reacts with water to form white salt of sodium hydride. 
  
  


• Action with phosphorous
  
  


• Action with Sulphur
  
  

5. Action of ammonia

• Action with liquid ammonia
  ↪ Sodium dissolves in ammonia to produce deep blue solution of ammoniate sodium ion and ammoniated electrons.        
  
  


• Action with ammonia gas
  ↪ When sodium is heated with ammonia gas, sodium amide (sodamide) is formed with evolution of hydrogen gas. 
  
  
  

6. Action with Acids
↪ Sodium reacts violently with acids to liberate hydrogen gas.


Uses of Sodium

↪ It is used to produce important compounds like NaCl, Na₂O, NaCN etc.
↪ It is used in sodium vapor lamp.
↪ It is used as reducing agent.
↪ It is used to detect foreign elements.
↪ It is used as heat exchanger in nuclear reactor.