sodium + water —>?

Question

how do you predict the products?
I got sodium oxide + hydrogen instead of sodium hydroxide + hydrogen, which is the answer.

Answer 1

There is no easy way to answer the question. There are some general rules.
metal + O2 ==> metallic oxide
Ba + O2 ==> BaO you balance.

non-metal + O2 ==> non-metal oxide
S + O2 ==> SO2

metal oxide + H2O = base
Na2O + H2O ==> NaOH you balance

non-metal oxide+H2O ==> acid
SO2 + H2O ==> H2SO3

acid + base ==> salt + H2O
m.o. + acid ==> salt + H2O
n.m.o. + base ==> salt + H2O
m.o. + n.m.o. ==> salt
You can make examples of each by using the above materials I have used as example.

redox equations--thousands but they follow certain rules.

Then the activity series in which any metal will displace the ION of a metal BELOW it in the activity series.
http://www.files.chem.vt.edu/RVGS/ACT/notes/activity_series.html

This last one is the rule for Na + H2O.
Na is above H in the activity series; therefore, Na will replace H in H2O.
2Na + 2H-OH ==> 2NaOH + H2

I hope this helps.