Question

The reaction 2Na + 2H2O → H2+2NaOH likely occurs over multiple steps because it involves significant bond breaking and bond forming processes. Sodium reacts with water to produce hydrogen gas (H2) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), but this requires breaking the O-H bonds in water and recombining hydrogen atoms to form H2. Additionally, the highly exothermic nature of the reaction and the need for proper molecular collisions make it unlikely to occur in a single step. Instead, the process involves sequential microscopic events at the molecular level to complete the transformation. rephrase like an 8th grader

Answer 1

The reaction 2Na + 2H2O → H2 + 2NaOH happens in several stages because it involves breaking and forming bonds in molecules. When sodium (Na) reacts with water (H2O), it produces hydrogen gas (H2) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). This process requires breaking the O-H bonds in water and joining hydrogen atoms together to create hydrogen gas. Since this reaction releases a lot of energy and depends on the molecules bumping into each other correctly, it's not likely to happen all at once. Instead, it goes through different tiny steps at the molecular level to finish the reaction.