This experiment tests the reaction between sodium metal and dry water, revealing dramatic chemical behavior and the science behind reactive materials.

Many of us gained our first appreciation for chemistry upon witnessing a high school teacher drop a chunk of sodium into a beakerful of water. You may think you know the explanation behind the ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it. Sometimes, we learn things early on in life, and simply accept that's ...

For decades, science enthusiasts have delighted at the famously energetic way sodium and potassium explode on contact with water. Researchers in Europe now show that the long-accepted explanation for ...

To provide a better understanding of plant responses to salt and water stresses, the effects of high concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the growth and ion ...

[Editor's note: In his answer to this question, the late John Margrave argued that salt dissolves in water as ions of sodium and chlorine, and these ions hydrate, or join to, the water molecules. This ...