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Sodium can be found everywhere. It’s in your food, sweat, and even in the ocean. However, you shouldn’t be afraid of this common and useful element. In this article, you will learn about its definition and most importantly its uses. It is a member of the alkali metals family. This family consists of elements in Group 1 (or IA) of the periodic table, which is a chart that shows how chemical elements are related to one another. Francium, cesium, rubidium, potassium, and lithium are other Group 1 elements.
The members of Group 1 are among the most active elements. There are many people who have never seen sodium metal. However, it is almost impossible not to see a lot of compounds of sodium each day. Baking soda, household lye, table salt, baking powder, aspirin, and other drugs, soaps and detergents, and many other products are sodium products.
1. Table salt
This element has other uses in our lives, aside from the need of our bodies for a regular supply of sodium. Sodium chloride, in the form of table salt, is the most common use of the element. Being an important seasoning ingredient, it is used in every kind of dish imaginable. Additionally, it is found useful in making the process of curing possible. Cured foods, such as meats, are preserved with the use of a huge amount of salt. The element is also found in another ingredient that can be found in the kitchen – the baking soda.
2. Baking soda
It is also known as the compound sodium bicarbonate. Baking soda is mainly used as a leavening ingredient for cakes as well as other pastries. Sodium bicarbonate and sodium chloride have more functions than making food taste incredibly delicious. Both can be used in a number of different ways and they don’t necessarily need to be used just in the kitchen. When mixed with vinegar, baking soda serves as an effective cleaning solution for almost anything. Another popular compound, which can be found in our everyday lives, is sodium fluoride.
3. Hygiene Products
It’s present in the dental hygiene products, such as the makings of toothpaste and mouthwashes. Sodium fluoride is also used in water treatment systems. Many industries use it, including wood preserving, glass frosting, and stainless steel prickling. In addition, it is used in different types of adhesives and glues, mostly as a preservative. Different health therapies also use sodium. Re-hydration therapy is the most common use. This is done for people who suffer from dehydration due to diarrhea or some other health hazards.
4. Street lamps, soap and glass
A solution of potassium chloride, sodium chloride, and glucose can help replenish water levels of our bodies. It’s a simple but important solution which saved a number of lives. Beautiful lighting fixtures are also created by using sodium. Street lamps are often lamps with sodium. They can be found in almost every part of the world and are most distinctive for their yellow-orange glow. Sodium is also found useful in creating many products, aside from lamps. It’s used for manufacturing pottery, soap, glass, textile dyes among many other products.
5. Titanium metals and artificial rubber
Many different industries use sodium. Sodium is used in manufacturing titanium metals. Metallic sodium is very important in manufacturing organic products. The structure of alloys can be improved by using sodium. Sodium is also used in separating potassium and zirconium from their compounds. It is used in chemical heat transfer and is being an important substance in making artificial rubber that has a number of different uses.
