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No. 139: Periodic Table: 11 Sodium

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Periodic Table: 11 Sodium

First | Previous | 2015-06-13 | Next | Latest

Permanent URL: https://mezzacotta.net/dinosaur/?comic=139

Strip by: David Morgan-Mar

T-Rex: T-Rex presents The Periodic Table:
T-Rex: 11. SODIUM
T-Rex: A reactive metal, normally silver in colour. At pressures of 200 atmospheres or more it changes crystal structure and becomes transparent.
Utahraptor: It's also unhealthy to eat too much.
T-Rex: Yes, a 3 gram block in your mouth will blow your head off.
Utahraptor: That's... not what I meant...
T-Rex: Wait...
T-Rex: Don't you want to know how I know that?

The author writes:

Metals generally are opaque, because the free electrons conduct electricity, and light is an electromagnetic wave, so doesn't penetrate electrical conductors because it sets up oscillations which cause reflection of the energy. So transparent metal is pretty much a fantasy - sorry Star Trek. Unless you want to use elemental sodium at ultra-high pressures in your windows.

Should be safe.