Solved cryptogram
Sodium metal reacts with water so eagerly that the hydrogen it frees usually catches fire.
Chemistry Facts, sourced to Royal Society of Chemistry.
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What it means
The metal is soft enough to cut with a knife and is stored under oil, because contact with damp air is enough to start it going. Dropped into water it strips off the hydrogen, and the reaction releases enough heat to ignite the gas it has just produced. The same element, bonded to chlorine, is the salt on your table and is entirely placid.
The claim comes from Royal Society of Chemistry.
- SourceRoyal Society of Chemistry
- CollectionChemistry Facts
- Difficultymedium
- Length75 letters, 18 unique
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