The reaction of sodium with water at room temperature is
A{'text': 'Slow and endothermic', 'label': 'A'}
B{'text': 'Neutral, giving no gas', 'label': 'B'}
C{'text': 'Vigorous and exothermic, with H₂ gas released', 'label': 'C'}
D{'text': 'Absent — sodium does not react with water', 'label': 'D'}
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. {'text': 'Vigorous and exothermic, with H₂ gas released', 'label': 'C'}
1. Sodium reacts very vigorously with cold water.
2. 2 Na + 2 H₂O → 2 NaOH + H₂↑ + heat.
3. The reaction is highly exothermic — heat released ignites the evolved H₂ gas.
4. That is why solid sodium is kept under kerosene for safety.
_Source: NCERT Class 10 Science, Ch 3 "Metals and Non-metals", §3.2.2_
Related questions
The most abundant metal in the Earth's crust isWhen zinc is added to dilute sulphuric acid, the gas evolved isIonic compounds like sodium chloride generallyAn ore of iron that is best in terms of iron content and magnetic properties per NCERT isThe process of coating iron/steel articles with a thin layer of zinc to prevent rusting isWhich of the following is a non-metal that is a LIQUID at room temperature?The reaction between iron and copper(II) sulphate solution is an example ofMetals are generally