Ethanol Reaction with Sodium: Identifying Products

This question asks about the outcome of reacting ethanol (\(\text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH}\)) with sodium (Na).

Understanding the Chemical Reaction

Sodium is a highly reactive alkali metal. It reacts readily with alcohols, similar to how it reacts with water, but typically less vigorously. In this reaction, the acidic hydrogen atom of the alcohol's hydroxyl (\(\text{-OH}\)) group is replaced by the sodium atom.

• Ethanol's structure allows the hydrogen in the \(\text{-OH}\) group to be substituted.
• Sodium acts as a reducing agent, losing an electron.

Reaction Equation and Products

The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between ethanol and sodium is:

\( 2 \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{OH} + 2 \text{Na} \rightarrow 2 \text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{ONa} + \text{H}_2 \uparrow \)

From the equation, we can identify the products:

• Sodium ethoxide (\(\text{C}_2\text{H}_5\text{ONa}\)): This is the salt formed from ethanol.
• Hydrogen gas (\(\text{H}_2\)): This gas is released during the reaction, indicated by the upward arrow (\(\uparrow\)).

Evaluating the Options

Let's compare the identified products with the given options:

• Option 1: States sodium ethoxide and hydrogen gas evolve. This matches our findings.
• Option 2: Mentions sodium hydroxide and oxygen gas. Incorrect.
• Option 3: Mentions sodium oxide and water. Incorrect.
• Option 4: Mentions sodium carbonate and hydrogen gas. Incorrect (sodium carbonate is not formed).

Therefore, the correct description of the reaction products is provided in Option 1.