Definitions
Electrolyte:
An
electrolyte
is
a
substance
containing
free
ions
that
behaves
as
an
electrically
conductive
medium.
Because
they
generally
consist
of
ions
in
solution,
electrolytes
are
also
known
as
ionic
solutions,
but
molten
electrolytes
and
solid
electrolytes
are
also
possible.
Common
electrolytes:
sodium
(Na+),
potassium
(K+),
calcium
(Ca2+),
magnesium
(Mg2+),
chloride
(Cl‐),
phosphate
(PO43‐
),
and
hydrogen
carbonate
(HCO3‐).
Calcium:
Calcium
is
the
chemical
element
in
the
periodic
table
that
has
the
symbol
Ca
and
atomic
number
20.
It
has
an
atomic
mass
of
40.078.
Calcium
is
a
soft
grey
alkaline
earth
metal,
and
is
the
fifth
most
abundant
element
in
the
Earth's
crust.
It
is
essential
for
living
organisms,
particularly
in
cell
physiology,
and
is
the
most
common
metal
in
many
animals.
Common
source:
These
include
seaweeds
such
as
kelp,
wakame
and
hijiki;
nuts
and
seeds
(like
almonds
and
sesame);
blackstrap
molasses;
beans;
oranges;
amaranth;
collard
greens;
okra;
rutabaga;
broccoli;
dandelion
leaves;
kale;
sardines;
and
fortified
products
such
as
orange
juice
and
soy
milk.
Potassium:
Potassium
is
a
chemical
element.
It
has
the
symbol
K
and
atomic
number
19.
The
name
"potassium"
comes
from
the
word
"potash",
as
potassium
was
first
isolated
from
potash.
Potassium
is
a
soft
silvery‐white
metallic
alkali
metal
that
occurs
naturally
bound
to
other
elements
in
seawater
and
many
minerals.
It
oxidizes
rapidly
in
air
and
is
very
reactive,
especially
towards
water.
In
many
respects,
potassium
and
sodium
are
chemically
similar,
although
organisms
in
general,
and
animal
cells
in
particular,
treat
them
very
differently.
Common
source:
avocados,
potatoes,
bananas,
broccoli,
orange
juice,
soybeans
and
apricots,
although
it
is
also
common
in
most
fruits,
vegetables
and
meats.
Sodium:
Sodium
is
a
chemical
element
which
has
the
symbol
Na
atomic
number
11,
atomic
mass
22.9898
g/mol,
common
oxidation
number
+1.
Sodium
is
a
soft,
silvery
white,
highly
reactive
element
and
is
a
member
of
the
alkali
metals
within
"group
1"
(formerly
known
as
‘group
IA’).
It
has
only
one
stable
isotope,
23Na.
Sodium
is
present
in
great
quantities
in
the
earth's
oceans
as
sodium
chloride.
It
is
also
a
component
of
many
minerals,
and
it
is
an
essential
element
for
animal
life.
As
such,
it
is
classified
as
a
“dietary
inorganic
macro‐mineral.”
Common
source:
Sodium
chloride
or
halite,
better
known
as
common
salt,
is
the
most
common
compound
of
sodium,
but
sodium
occurs
in
many
other
minerals,
such
as
amphibole,
cryolite,
soda
niter
and
zeolite.,
Hard
soaps
are
generally
sodium
salt
of
certain
fatty
acids.
Magnesium:
Magnesium
is
a
chemical
element
with
the
symbol
Mg,
the
atomic
number
12,
and
an
atomic
mass
of
24.31.
Magnesium
is
the
ninth
most
abundant
element
in
the
universe
by
mass.
It
constitutes
about
2%
of
the
Earth's
crust
by
mass,
and
it
is
the
third
most
abundant
element
dissolved
in
seawater.
Magnesium
ions
are
essential
to
all
living
cells,
and
is
the
11th
most
abundant
element
by
mass
in
the
human
body.
The
free
element
(metal)
is
not
found
in
nature.
Common
source:
Although
magnesium
is
found
in
over
60
minerals,
only
dolomite,
magnesite,
brucite,
carnallite,
talc,
and
olivine
are
of
commercial
importance.
In
the
United
States
this
metal
is
principally
obtained
by
electrolysis
of
fused
magnesium
chloride
from
brines,
wells,
and
sea
water:
Chloride:
The
chloride
ion
is
formed
when
the
element
chlorine
picks
up
one
electron
to
form
an
anion
(negatively‐charged
ion)
Cl−.
The
salts
of
hydrochloric
acid
HCl
contain
chloride
ions
and
can
also
be
called
chlorides.
An
example
is
table
salt,
which
is
sodium
chloride
with
the
chemical
formula
NaCl.
In
water,
it
dissolves
into
Na+
and
Cl−
ions.
The
word
chloride
can
also
refer
to
a
chemical
compound
in
which
one
or
more
chlorine
atoms
are
covalently
bonded
in
the
molecule.
This
means
that
chlorides
can
be
either
inorganic
or
organic
compounds.
The
simplest
example
of
an
inorganic
covalently‐bonded
chloride
is
hydrogen
chloride,
HCl.
A
simple
example
of
an
organic
covalently‐bonded
(an
organochloride)
chloride
is
chloromethane
(CH3Cl),
often
called
methyl
chloride.
Common
source:
kelp
(seaweed),
ionic
trace
minerals,
olives,
rye,
tomatoes,
lettuce,
and
celery
Nitrate:
In
inorganic
chemistry,
a
nitrate
is
a
salt
of
nitric
acid
with
an
ion
composed
of
one
nitrogen
and
three
oxygen
atoms
(NO3−).
In
organic
chemistry
the
esters
of
nitric
acid
and
various
alcohols
are
called
nitrates.
Nitrate
from
food,
especially
vegetables,
is
converted
in
the
human
digestive
tract
to
nitrite
which
reacts
with
amines
to
form
carcinogenic
nitrosamines.
Common
source:
Nitrate
is
a
water‐soluble
molecule
made
up
of
nitrogen
and
oxygen.
It
is
formed
when
nitrogen
from
ammonia
or
other
sources
combines
with
oxygenated
water.
Nitrate
is
a
natural
constituent
of
plants
and
is
found
in
vegetables
at
varying
levels
depending
on
the
amount
of
fertilizer
applied
and
on
other
growing
conditions.
According
to
the
World
Health
Organization,
most
adults
ingest
20‐70
milligrams
of
nitrate‐
nitrogen
per
day
with
most
of
this
coming
from
foods
like
lettuce,
celery,
beets,
and
spinach.
When
foods
containing
nitrate
are
eaten
as
part
of
a
balanced
diet
the
nitrate
exposure
is
not
thought
to
be
harmful.
Sulfate:
The
sulfate
ion
is
a
polyatomic
anion
with
the
empirical
formula
SO42−
and
a
molecular
mass
of
96.06
daltons;
it
consists
of
a
central
sulfur
atom
surrounded
by
four
equivalent
oxygen
atoms
in
a
tetrahedral
arrangement.
The
sulfate
ion
carries
a
negative
two
charge
and
is
the
conjugate
base
of
the
bisulfate
(or
hydrogen
sulfate)
ion,
HSO4−,
which
is
the
conjugate
base
of
H2SO4,
sulfuric
acid.
Organic
sulfates,
such
as
dimethyl
sulfate,
are
covalent
compounds
and
esters
of
sulfuric
acid.
Common
source:
Sulfates
are
a
combination
of
sulfur
and
oxygen
and
are
a
part
of
naturally
occurring
minerals
in
some
soil
and
rock
formations
that
contain
groundwater.
The
mineral
dissolves
over
time
and
is
released
into
groundwater. Sulfates
occur
as
microscopic
particles
(aerosols)
resulting
from
fossil
fuel
and
biomass
combustion.
They
increase
the
acidity
of
the
atmosphere
and
form
acid
rain.