The statement "The atomic number and the mass number of sodium are 11 and 23 respectively" conveys the following information about the sodium atom:
Atomic Number (Z): The atomic number of sodium is 11. The atomic number represents the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. In this case, sodium has 11 protons in its nucleus.
Mass Number (A): The mass number of sodium is 23. The mass number represents the total number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom. In this case, the sum of protons and neutrons in the sodium nucleus is 23.
The atomic number (Z) uniquely identifies the element as sodium since each element has a specific atomic number. The mass number (A) provides information about the total number of nucleons (protons and neutrons) in the nucleus of the sodium atom.
Based on the given information, we can deduce that the sodium atom has 11 protons (which determines its atomic number) and a total of 23 nucleons (protons + neutrons) in its nucleus (which determines its mass number).