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Compare Sodium vs Chlorine

Comparing Sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl). Atomic numbers 11 and 17 with atomic masses 22.99 u and 35.446 u, classified as alkali metal and nonmetal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
Na
Sodium
#11
Cl
Chlorine
#17

Periodic properties of the elements

SodiumChlorine
SymbolNaCl
Atomic number1117
Group117
Period33
Blocksp
Element categoryAlkali MetalNonmetal

Physical properties

SodiumChlorine
Phase at STPSolidGas
Density0.968 g/cm33.2 g/cm3
Atomic weight22.9898 u35.446 u
Melting point370.944 K
97.794 °C
208.0292 °F		171.6 K
-101.55 °C
-150.79 °F
Boiling point1156.09 K
882.94 °C
1621.292 °F		239.11 K
-34.04 °C
-29.272 °F

Atomic properties

SodiumChlorine
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)0.933.16
Electron affinity52.867 kJ/mol348.575 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−1, +1
(a strongly basic oxide)		−1, +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, +7
(a strongly acidic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 495.8 kJ/mol
  2. 4562 kJ/mol
  3. 6910.3 kJ/mol
  4. 9543 kJ/mol
  5. 13354 kJ/mol
  6. 16613 kJ/mol
  7. 20117 kJ/mol
  8. 25496 kJ/mol
  9. 28932 kJ/mol
  10. 141362 kJ/mol
  11. 159076 kJ/mol
  1. 1251.2 kJ/mol
  2. 2298 kJ/mol
  3. 3822 kJ/mol
  4. 5158.6 kJ/mol
  5. 6542 kJ/mol
  6. 9362 kJ/mol
  7. 11018 kJ/mol
  8. 33604 kJ/mol
  9. 38600 kJ/mol
  10. 43961 kJ/mol
  11. 51068 kJ/mol
  12. 57119 kJ/mol
  13. 63363 kJ/mol
  14. 72341 kJ/mol
  15. 78095 kJ/mol
  16. 352994 kJ/mol
  17. 380760 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

SodiumChlorine
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s1 [Ne] 3s2 3p5
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p5
Electrons per shell2, 8, 12, 8, 7

History

SodiumChlorine
DiscoveryHumphry Davy (1807)Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1774)
First isolationHumphry Davy (1807)Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1774)
Named bySir Humphry Davy (1810)
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