The Difference Between Sodium and Salt
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Technically
salt can be any ionic compound formed by reacting an acid and a base, but most
of the time the word is used to refer to table salt,
which is sodium chloride or NaCl.
So,
you know salt contains sodium, but the two chemicals aren't the same thing.
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element.
It is very reactive, so it isn't found free in nature.
In
fact, it undergoes spontaneous combustion in water, so while sodium is
essential for human nutrition, you wouldn't want to eat pure sodium.
When
you ingest salt, the sodium, and the chlorine ions in sodium chloride separate
from each other, making the sodium available for your body to use.
Sodium in the Body
Sodium
is used to transmit nerve impulses and is found in every cell of your body.
The
balance between sodium and other ions regulates the pressure of cells and is
related to your blood pressure, too.
Amount Of Sodium in Salt
Since
sodium levels are so critical to so many chemical
reactions in your body, the amount of sodium you eat or drink
has important implications for your health.
If
you are trying to regulate or limit your intake of sodium, you need to realize
the quantity of salt you eat is related to the amount of sodium but is not
the same.
This
is because salt contains both sodium and chlorine, so when salt dissociates
into its ions, the mass is divided (not equally) between sodium and chlorine
ions.
The
reason salt isn't just half sodium and half chlorine is because a sodium ion
and a chlorine ion don't weight the same amount.
Sample Salt and Sodium
Calculation
For
example, here is how to calculate the amount of sodium in 3 grams (g) of salt.
You will notice 3 grams of salt does not contain 3 grams of sodium, nor is half
the mass of salt from sodium, so 3 grams of salt does not contain 1.5 grams of
sodium:
· Na: 22.99 grams/mole
· Cl: 35.45 grams/mole
· 1 mole of
NaCl = 23 + 35.5 g = 58.5 grams per mole
· Sodium is 23/58.5 x 100% = 39.3% of salt is
sodium
Then
the amount of sodium in 3 grams of salt = 39.3% x 3 = 1.179 g or about 1200 mg
An
easy way to calculate the amount of sodium in salt is to realize 39.3% of the
amount of salt comes from sodium.
Just
multiply 0.393 times the mass of the salt and you will have the mass of sodium.
Top Dietary Sources of Sodium
While
table salt is an obvious source of sodium, the CDC reports 40% of dietary
sodium comes from 10 foods.
The
list may be surprising because many of these foods don't taste particularly
salty:
·
Bread
·
Cured meats (e.g., cold cuts, bacon)
·
Pizza
·
Poultry
·
Soup
·
Sandwiches
·
Cheese
·
Pasta (usually cooked with salted water)
·
Meat dishes
· Snack foods
Anne
Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry
Expert
Education
Ph.D.,
Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
B.A.,
Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Introduction
Ph.D.
in biomedical sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak
Ridge National Laboratory.
Science
educator with experience teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at
the high school, college, and graduate levels.
ThoughtCo
and About Education chemistry expert since 2001.
Widely-published
graphic artist, responsible for printable periodic tables and other
illustrations used in science.
Experience
Anne
Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education
since 2001, and other sciences since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology,
astronomy, and physics at the high school, college, and graduate levels. She
has worked as a research scientist and also abstracting and indexing diverse
scientific literature for the Department of Energy.
In
addition to her work as a science writer, Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a
scientific consultant, specializing in problems requiring an interdisciplinary
approach. Previously, she worked as a research scientist and college professor.
Education
Dr.
Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of
Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A. in physics and mathematics with a minor in
chemistry from Hastings College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine
developed ultra-sensitive chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.
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https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-sodium-and-salt-608498
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