Valency of Sodium (Na)
The valency of Sodium is 1 — it has 1 valence electron, and it loses it to complete its outer shell.
Teachers call it "one fact, fully handled" — exactly what this page does for Sodium. The answer sits at the top in bold; scroll for the working, the shell-by-shell breakdown and the two questions students ask most. Need the whole picture instead — history, characteristics, uses, exam questions? The full Sodium page is one click away.
Counting the valence electrons
From the configuration [Ne] 3s^1, Sodium's outermost shell carries 1 electron. These are the electrons shown as dots in electron-dot diagrams — the hands Sodium uses to hold other atoms.
Position check: Sodium belongs to group 1 of the periodic table, period 3.
Valency vs valence electrons
Valence electrons are what you count (1 for Sodium); valency is what the atom will do to complete its outer shell (1 here). Keep the two words straight and half the periodic-table chapter writes itself.
Students also ask
How do I find the valency of Sodium from its group?
Sodium sits in group 1; groups 1–2 metals have valency equal to the group number — 1 here.
Why does Sodium show a fixed valency?
Sodium has 1 valence electron and reaches a complete outer shell in one consistent way, so its valency stays fixed at 1.