What happens when you put sodium into water?

Answer 1

A explosive reaction occurs producing Sodium hydroxide and Hydrogen.

2 Na + 2 H2O ----> 2 NaOH + H2

This reaction is highly exothermic, and the heat generated is enough for burning the hydrogen coming out.

Answer 2

Actually, think of it as sodium added to water. Sodium, as you might know, is one of the alkali metals, a group of elements that react violently with water. A sodium atom has a outer shell that has one really loose electron, which for some reason is really annoying the sodium. So, because of this, sodium will react and explode with almost anything to get rid of the electron.

When it hits water, sodium generates hydrogen gas, by ripping apart the hydrogen and oxygen atoms that make water, creating oxygen and hydrogen, both highly flammable. Then, the immense heat made by the reaction will literally set the gases on fire, which creates such heat that hydrogen atoms will react and fuse with oxygen atoms both produced by the sodium and in the air naturally to create water, which turns into vapor.

Afterwards, mixed in with the water, there will be some sodium hydroxide, a highly corrosive chemical. The reaction will cause a huge boom and flashing fire, which is why it is considered the most reactive of the alkali metal brothers.

Answer 3

It reacts VERY explosively, in the US i believe it is impossible to own or purchase pure sodium without proper licensing... it is so volatile that it must be stored in kerosene oil so that the water in air cannot cause it to combust. Sodium is also used as a base element for many explosive compounds.

Answer 4

Sodium reacts violently with water.

2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) --> 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g) + heat

The heat of the reaction will ignite the H2 gas and make it explode, producing more heat.

H2(g) + O2(g) --> H2O(g) + heat

If you still have unreacted sodium, the heat from the explosion will cause sodium to ignite and explode.

Answer 5

Sodium reacts violently with water.

2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) --> 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g) + heat

The heat of the reaction will ignite the H2 gas and make it explode, producing more heat.

H2(g) + O2(g) --> H2O(g) + heat

If you still have unreacted sodium, the heat from the explosion will cause sodium to ignite and explode.

Na(s) + O2(g) --> Na2O2(s)

Na2O2 is a peroxide that contains O22-, rather than the O2- ion you normally see.

Answer 6

The reaction for putting sodium into water is Sodium + water= => sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

Sodium floats on water as it has a very low density for a metal. The reaction probably begins very slowly as the sodium is likely coated in a fine layer of sodium oxide. ONce begun the sodium will dance across the water propelled by the hydrogen gas being produced. The reaction is very energetic and produces lots of heat energy and a yellow flame. Hydrogen reacts with oxygen from the air to produce more water an sometimes a loud bang. If you put universal indicator in the water before you place the sodium in, the water will start green (neutral) and become blue/violet (alkaline) as the reaction progresses.

Even if you wanted to you could not drink the water because adding the sodium makes the water very alkaline and we need neutral water to survive

Answer 7

Sodium is one of the alkali metals, meaning they react violently with water when they touch. When sodium touches water, the outer shell of the sodium's atom has one extremely loose electron, which, think of it as annoying to the sodium, so sodium, like all the brothers of alkali metals, will (literally) react with anything to get rid of it, water one of them.

As soon as sodium touches water, it grabs the water atoms, and tears them apart and rapidly creates new atoms. In this reaction, flammable hydrogen gas is generated, and this gas catches fire with the intense heat made by the reaction, resulting in a big boom and, since it is burning, the fire fuses the hydrogen gas with the oxygen gas around the air, creating water that is vaporized and turned into steam.

What is left in the water is sodium hydroxide, a highly corrosive chemical. The sodium metal itself creates a big boom and fire, and is completely demolished by the reaction made by itself. It is considered the most reactive of all alkali metals that can be obtained.

Answer 8

When you drop sodium in water............. be alert because it's sure to explode. This is not table salt. Sodium turns to table salt when you mix chlorine with it.

Answer 9

The sodium starts to move around the water, then it catches on fire and eventually it will explode.