THE SCIENCE OF SALT — FOR JR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

THE DR. MATILDA A. EVANS' CLASS

The Science of Salt

When you get a chance, please shake a little bit of salt into the palm of your hand. Take a good look at it. Hold it there for a moment. Think about how common SALT is and the many ways we use it. Think about the fact that you can find salt in most kitchens and restaurants. It is used to flavor food. In fact, it is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in living things. Our oceans have so much salt that you can smell it offshore. Salt is sometimes used to melt ice in areas that have seasonable snow. Salt has been a stable for all cultures for thousands of years. Many cultures still use Salt as a preservative. Salt is so stable on our planet that it even has a saying that people use often, such as someone is as the "salt of the earth", when complimenting them.

With all that said, there are some more fascinating information about Salt that we need to know about.

1. Salt is made up of two chemicals – Sodium and Chlorine.

2. Sodium is a soft metal and Chlorine is a gas.

3. Sodium and Chlorine are two of the most extremely dangerous elements in the universe.

4. Sodium, by itself, reacts immediately with any type of moisture, which includes water, sweat, and humidity. In fact, if Sodium is exposed to any type of moisture, it will cause a massive explosion that will quickly start enormous fires. Sodium can cause severe chemical burns when exposed to skin, eyes or any kind of mucus from your body. Sodium is so dangerous that it is never found in its independent form anywhere in our environment.

5. Chlorine is a poisonous gas with a choking odor. It is known to kill living cells. This is why we use Chlorine to bleach our clothes, to disinfect our homes and to use in our swimming pools. It is also among the deadliest of elements and must be handled with extreme care. If a train that transports Chlorine derails, a massive area must be evacuated. This is because Chlorine is capable of causing sudden death due to the narrowing of our airways. We may not be able to breath sufficiently enough to keep from suffocating. There is no antidote for Chlorine toxicity.

So, here is where we might ask, "if these two elements are so massively dangerous, why are they sitting in my kitchen, or on any table in restaurants?"

Well, there is an amazing answer to this question. These two highly dangerous chemicals are very compatible, (thank God). They are made in such a way, that they balance each other out. Sodium gives Chlorine one of its electrons and Chlorine accepts it. When this sharing takes place, these two elements became stable. In fact, they become so stable that they become essential to life on earth. They have found a way to build between them an environment that is balanced, strong and peaceful.

Once they become bonded, then they become known as Sodium Chloride, or as we say – Salt. The chemical formula for Salt is "NaCl". There is one Sodium atom to two Chlorine atoms that forms them into a molecule.

Now, wouldn't it be awesome if we could all use our common table salt as a rule for us to get along with one another. These two atoms, by sharing with one another, makes the world a better place for everyone, certainly one that taste a whole lot better!