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How does sodium react with alcohols such as methanol and ethanol?

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Sodium reacts with anhydrous alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol, to produce the corresponding alcoholates, also known as alkoxides, and hydrogen gas.1

The chemical reaction follows this general equation:

$N a + R O H \to R O N a + \frac{1}{2} H_{2}$

In this formula, $R$ represents the organic portion of the alcohol—for example, $C H_{3}$ for methanol or $C H_{3} C H_{2}$ for ethanol.1

The intensity of this reaction is influenced by the alcohol's molecular weight; the reaction is most vigorous with methanol and decreases as the molecular weight of the alcohol increases. Notably, sodium methoxide is produced on an industrial scale by reacting sodium with an excess of methanol.1