sodium + water —>?

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

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.

The reaction between sodium and water is a well-known example of a metal reacting with water. The general equation for this reaction is:

2Na + 2H2O -> 2NaOH + H2

The predicted products of this reaction are sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen gas (H2).

Sodium reacts vigorously with water, displacing hydrogen from water molecules and producing sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas. It is important to note that the reaction may be affected by various factors such as temperature, concentration, and the state of sodium (solid or molten), which can influence the reaction outcome.

To predict the products of a chemical reaction, it is important to understand the reactivity of the elements involved. In this case, sodium (Na) is a highly reactive metal and water (H2O) is a compound that can act as an acid or a base.

In the reaction between sodium and water, the sodium metal reacts with water to form a compound and release hydrogen gas. The balanced chemical equation is:

2Na + 2H2O —> 2NaOH + H2

The correct product is sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen gas (H2), not sodium oxide (Na2O). Sodium oxide is formed when sodium reacts with oxygen, not water.

To predict the products correctly, you can follow these steps:

1. Write the formula of the reactants. In this case, the reactants are sodium (Na) and water (H2O).
2. Identify the type of reaction. Sodium is a metal and water is a compound, so this is a metal-acid/base reaction.
3. Determine the products based on the reaction type. Metals usually react with acids or bases to form a salt and release hydrogen gas. In this case, sodium reacts with water (a base) to form sodium hydroxide (a salt) and hydrogen gas.
4. Write the balanced chemical equation based on the stoichiometry (the ratios of the compounds involved in the reaction). The balanced equation is 2Na + 2H2O —> 2NaOH + H2.

By following these steps, you can correctly predict the products of chemical reactions and obtain the balanced equation.