Sodium And Water Do Not Mix

This post on Consumerist, made me remember a science class gone wrong:

so·di·um (sō'dē-əm) pronunciation
n. (Symbol Na)

A soft, light, extremely malleable silver-white metallic element that reacts explosively with water, is naturally abundant in combined forms, especially in common salt, and is used in the production of a wide variety of industrially important compounds. Atomic number 11; atomic weight 22.99; melting point 97.8°C; boiling point 892°C; specific gravity 0.971; valence 1.

'Ah, science class memories. My middle school science teacher was showing us how sodium and water are a volatile combination.

He had a chunk of sodium, and as he was trying to shave off a piece to throw in a beaker of water, the entire chunk fell in to the beaker. He ran, we sat there wondering why he freaked out.

Then the glass beaker exploded and the sodium/water mix gurgled and bubbled and smoked as it exploded, leaving a layer of it anything in the immediate area.

Good times.'