Sodium
Atomic Number: 11
Sodium is the 11th element in the periodic table and it is a soft, silver highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, in group 1. This metal is not found naturally, and is only found in combination with different elements. Sodium is the 6th most abundant element in the earths crust, but is in numerous minerals such as feldspars, sodalite, and rock salt. Sodium makes up something very reconizable, which is table salt (sodium chloride). Sodium can be important for your body because it can maintain the balance of water in and around your cells. Salt/sodium can be bad for the human body though. It can increase blood pressure and increase the risk of a stroke, or heart failure. It was first dicovered/isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1807. The name, sodium, derives from the Latin word "sodanum" meaning "headache".
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