Question

What is the balanced chemical equation for 1-propanol and sodium?

Answer 1

`"propanol + sodium " rarr " dihydrogen + sodium propoxide"`

Explanation:

`Pr^nOH(l) + Na(s) rarr Pr^(n)O^(-)Na^+(l) + 1/2H_2(g)uarr`

Sodium metal would react very slowly with propanol, and the reaction would require heating to complete. On the other hand, the equivalent reactions with methanol and ethanol would be quite rapid. Can you account for these differences in reactivity?