Question
#practical: Use tongs to place a 2 mm piece of sodium in a large beaker of water that has several drops of phenolphthalein added. Now, (a)record what happens.
(B) Write an equation for the reaction of between sodium and water.
(B) Write an equation for the reaction of between sodium and water.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
(a) **Observation**: When a 2 mm piece of sodium is placed in a large beaker of water that has phenolphthalein added, the sodium typically reacts vigorously with the water. You would observe the following:
1. The sodium metal will float on the surface of the water and move around quickly, often due to the release of hydrogen gas.
2. Bubbles of hydrogen gas will be produced as the sodium reacts with water, and these bubbles can sometimes catch fire due to the exothermic nature of the reaction.
3. The solution (water) around the sodium may turn pink due to the presence of phenolphthalein, indicating that the solution has become basic as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is formed.
(b) **Chemical Equation**: The reaction between sodium (Na) and water (H₂O) can be represented by the following balanced chemical equation:
\[
2 \, \text{Na} (s) + 2 \, \text{H}_2\text{O} (l) \rightarrow 2 \, \text{NaOH} (aq) + \text{H}_2 (g)
\]
In this reaction, sodium reacts with water to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
1. The sodium metal will float on the surface of the water and move around quickly, often due to the release of hydrogen gas.
2. Bubbles of hydrogen gas will be produced as the sodium reacts with water, and these bubbles can sometimes catch fire due to the exothermic nature of the reaction.
3. The solution (water) around the sodium may turn pink due to the presence of phenolphthalein, indicating that the solution has become basic as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is formed.
(b) **Chemical Equation**: The reaction between sodium (Na) and water (H₂O) can be represented by the following balanced chemical equation:
\[
2 \, \text{Na} (s) + 2 \, \text{H}_2\text{O} (l) \rightarrow 2 \, \text{NaOH} (aq) + \text{H}_2 (g)
\]
In this reaction, sodium reacts with water to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.