Final answer:
The chemical symbol for sodium is Na, it has 11 protons, 11 electrons, and the most common isotope has 12 neutrons. Its electron configuration is 1s²2s²2p¶3s¹, which can be abbreviated as [Ne]3s¹ in noble gas notation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical symbol for elemental sodium is Na. This symbol originates from the Latin name for sodium, natrium. Elemental sodium has an atomic number of 11, which means it has 11 protons. Because it is neutral, it also has 11 electrons. The number of neutrons in the most common isotope of sodium is 12. The standard notation to represent sodium's electron configuration is 1s²2s²2p¶3s¹. This can also be written in noble gas configuration as [Ne]3s¹, where [Ne] signifies the filled inner-shell electron configuration identical to that of neon.