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Which products form when sodium reacts with water?
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When sodium reacts with water, it undergoes a violent, exothermic reaction that produces sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen gas.123
The reaction is an example of an oxidation-reduction reaction, where electrons are transferred from sodium atoms to water molecules. The chemical process can be represented as follows:3
Because the reaction releases significant heat and produces flammable hydrogen gas, it can be explosive, particularly when sodium with a high surface area is involved. The primary explosive hazard associated with this reaction is the rapid formation of hydrogen gas.13