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Sodium Chemical & Physical Properties   Sodium Sodium Basic Facts: Symbol: Na Atomic Number: 11 Atomic Weight: 22.989768 Element Classification: Alkali Metal CAS Number: 7440-23-5 Sodium Periodic Table Location Group: 1 Period: 3 Block: s Sodium Electron Configuration Short Form : [Ne]3s 1 Long Form : 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 1 Shell Structure: 2 8 1 Sodium Discovery Discovery Date: 1807 Discoverer: Sir Humphrey Davy [England] Name: Sodium derives its name from the Medieval Latin ' sodanum ' and the English name 'soda'. The element symbol, Na, was shortened from the Latin name 'Natrium'. Swedish chemist Berzelius was the first to use the symbol Na for sodium in his early periodic table.

Chemical & Physical Properties Lithium Atomic Number: 3 Symbol: Li Atomic Weight: [6.938; 6.997] Reference: IUPAC 2009 Discovery: 1817, Arfvedson (Sweden) Electron Configuration: [He]2s 1 Word Origin Greek: lithos , stone Properties: Lithium has a melting point of 180.54°C, boiling point of 1342°C, specific gravity of 0.534 (20°C), and valence of 1. It is the lightest of the metals, with a density approximately half that of water. Under ordinary conditions, lithium is the least dense of the solid elements. It has the highest specific heat of any solid element. Metallic lithium is silvery in appearance. It reacts with water, but not as vigorously as does sodium. Lithium imparts a crimson color to flame, although the metal itself burns a bright white. Lithium is corrosive and requires special handling. Elemental lithium is extremely flammable.

Chemical & Physical Properties of Hydrogen Hydrogen Atomic Number: 1 Hydrogen Symbol: H Hydrogen Atomic Weight: [1.00784; 1.00811] Reference: IUPAC 2009 Hydrogen Discovery: Cavendish, 1766. Hydrogen was prepared for many years before it was recognized as a distinct element. Hydrogen Electron Configuration: 1s 1 Hydrogen Word Origin: Greek: hydro, water; genes, forming Named by Lavoisier. Hydrogen Isotopes: Protium (0 neutrons), Deuterium (1 neutron), and Tritium (2 neutrons) Ground level: 2S 1/2 Ionization potential: 13.5984 ev Physical form: Colorless gas Melting point: -259.2°C Boiling point: -252.762°C Critical temperature: -240.18°C Density: 0.082 g/L Specific heat: 14.304 J/g•K Valence: 1 Hydrogen Properties: Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. The heavier elements were made from hydrogen or from other elements that were made from hydrogen. Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, combustible gas. Hydrogen gas is so ...

January 21 th marks the passing of John Couch Adams. Adams was a British mathematician and astronomer who calculated the existence of a planet outside the orbit of Uranus to explain the irregularities of Uranus' orbit. He presented his calculations to the Cambridge Observatory, where they did nothing with the information. Meanwhile, a French mathematician named Urbain Le Verrier was doing the same calculations. He presented his results to Berlin Observatory's astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle, who quickly found Neptune within 1° of Le Verrier's prediction. When Berlin announced the discovery, Astronomer Royal George Airy remembered John Adams and his paper and tried to claim priority of the discovery. Both men are generally credited with the discovery today, but Le Verrier's actual published calculations and closer position is cited to give him the credit of discovery.

Have you ever wondered why glue doesn't stick to the inside of the glue bottle? Why not set up an experiment to see if you can figure out what glue needs in order to stick? Some people think glue bottles are made from a special plastic that repels glue. This is easy to check. If you put a drop of glue on the bottle and allow it to dry, does it stick? Does it matter whether you try this on the inner or outer surface of the bottle? Is it evaporation of the solvent, or is it something in air that makes glue sticky? It may be complicated to check every component of air, but you can easily prepare a gas that isn't air, to see what happens. For example, you could mix baking soda and vinegar or sublimate dry ice to make carbon dioxide gas. This gas is heavier than air, so you can fill a container with it. If you put a drop of glue inside the carbon dioxide to dry, the solvent will evaporate. Is that enough to make the glue sticky? Place an opened bottle of glue insid...