a silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group; occurs abundantly in natural compounds (especially in salt water); burns with a yellow flame and reacts violently in water; occurs in sea water and in the mineral halite (rock salt)
"The chemist carefully handled the sodium, noting its silvery waxy appearance before observing how it burned with a bright yellow flame when exposed to air."
The chemical element (symbol Na) with an atomic number of 11 and atomic weight of 22.98977. It is a soft, waxy, silvery, reactive alkali metal that is never found unbound in nature.
"Sodium is a soft, silvery metal that reacts violently with water but is essential for maintaining fluid balance in the human body."
In plain English: Sodium is an element found on the periodic table that our bodies need to keep nerves and muscles working properly, but too much of it can raise blood pressure.
"Adding too much sodium to your food can raise your blood pressure over time."
Usage: Sodium refers to the specific chemical element found in table salt rather than being used as a general synonym for any salty substance or flavoring agent. Avoid confusing this scientific term with "salt," which describes the compound sodium chloride itself.
British chemist Humphry Davy coined the term "sodium" in 1808 by adding the suffix "-ium" to the word "soda." This name was created to identify the element found within that common substance.