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What chemical equation describes the reaction between sodium and water?

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A color-coded periodic table of the elements displays each element's symbol and atomic number, with categories such as alkali metals, noble gases, halogens, transition metals, and actinoid elements distinguished by different background colors. — alkali metal Modern version of the periodic table of the elements (printable).

The reaction between sodium and water is a highly exothermic process that produces sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas.

The chemical equation for this reaction is:

$2 Na (s) + 2 H_{2} O (l) \to 2 {Na}^{+} (a q) + 2 {OH}^{-} (a q) + H_{2} (g)$

Alternatively, it is often represented in a simplified form as:

$Na + H_{2} O \to NaOH + \frac{1}{2} H_{2}$

This reaction is an example of an oxidation-reduction reaction, where electrons are transferred from sodium atoms to water molecules. Because the reaction releases significant heat, the hydrogen gas produced can ignite, making the process potentially explosive, especially when liquid sodium with a high surface area is involved.123