What is produced when ethanol reacts with sodium?

When ethanol reacts with sodium, the reaction produces bubbles of hydrogen gas along with sodium ethoxide. This occurs because sodium reacts vigorously with alcohols, leading to the release of hydrogen gas and the formation of an alkoxide.

In this process, sodium (which is a highly reactive metal) donates its electrons to the ethanol, which is a compound containing an –OH (hydroxyl) group. As the sodium interacts with the ethanol, it displaces the hydrogen from the hydroxyl group, producing hydrogen gas as a byproduct. The remaining part of the ethanol molecule then bonds with the sodium, resulting in sodium ethoxide, which is the alkoxide formed in the reaction.

This reaction can typically be observed by the effervescence due to the evolution of hydrogen gas, which can be seen as bubbles forming. Therefore, the correct response reflects both products of the reaction: the gas released and the new compound formed, sodium ethoxide.