Question

Balance the equation:
$Na + C{H_3}C{H_2}OH \to C{H_3}C{H_2}ONa + {H_2}$

Answer 1

To answer this question you must recall the method to balance a chemical equation. A balanced equation is an equation in which the number of atoms of each element are equal on the reactant side and product side.

Complete step by step solution
The reaction given in the question is that of an alcohol with sodium metal. Alcohols are simple organic compounds having a hydroxyl group attached to a carbon chain or ring. The given alcohol is ethanol.
As we take a look at the equation, $Na + C{H_3}C{H_2}OH \to C{H_3}C{H_2}ONa + {H_2}$
We can see that the number of carbon, sodium and oxygen atoms in the equation are equal on both sides while the hydrogen atoms are not. So, now the reaction becomes,
$Na + 2C{H_3}C{H_2}OH \to C{H_3}C{H_2}ONa + {H_2}$
In the next step, we first make the number of carbon atoms balanced. We get,
$Na + 2C{H_3}C{H_2}OH \to 2C{H_3}C{H_2}ONa + {H_2}$
Now, carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms are balanced but sodium is not. So we write,
$2Na + 2C{H_3}C{H_2}OH \to 2C{H_3}C{H_2}ONa + {H_2}$
Now, we can see that the equation is completely balanced. The number of the atoms of each element on the left side of the arrow are equal to those on the right side.

Note
Ethanol is a simple alcohol with two carbon atoms and is represented by the chemical formula ${\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{3}}}{\text{C}}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{OH}}$ . Generally, ethanol or ethyl alcohol is taken as alcohol. It is also commonly known as grain alcohol. It is used in a wide variety of applications, including those in biology, medical sciences and in organic chemistry as solvent and reagent. It can also be used as an alternative fuel to gasoline for combustion engines due to its flammability and good calorific value. Pure ethanol is a colorless and flammable liquid having a boiling point of round ${78^{\text{o}}}{\text{C}}$.