Inside Compounds
Vital Elements
Sodium is an element. It is vital to life. You need sodium to make your heart beat properly and to help your nerves transmit messages. Of course, you can't eat pure sodium - the metal reacts violently with water. Instead you need to eat substances that contain sodium , such as sodium chloride or salt.
Compounds
Sodium chloride is a compound. Compounds are made up of two or more elements, strongly joined together.
The properties of compounds are different from the properties of the elements from which they are made. For example:
The properties of compounds are different from the properties of the elements from which they are made. For example:
- Sodium is a solid silver-coloured metal at room temperature. It conducts electricity.
- Chlorine is a green gas, it is a non-metal. It does not conduct electricity.
- Sodium chloride is a white solid. It does not conduct electricity when solid.