1.

Starting with sodium chloride how would you proceed to prepare (i) sodium metal (ii) sodium hydroxide (iii) sodium peroxide (iv) sodium carbonate?

Answer»

Solution : (i) Sodium metal : Sodium can be extracted from sodium chloride by Downs process. This process involves the electrolysis of fused NaCl (40%) and CaCl, (60%) at a temperature of 1123K in Downs cell.
STEEL is the cathode and a BLOCK of graphite acts as the anode. Metallic Na and Ca are formed at cathode. Molten sodium is taken out of the cell and collected over KEROSENE.
`underset("(molten)")(NaCl) overset("electrolysis")to Na^(+)+CL^(-)`
At Cathod : `Na^(+)+e^(-) to Na`
At Anode : `Cl^(-) to Cl +e^(-)`
`""Cl+Cl to Cl_(2)`
(ii) Sodium Hydroxide :
(iii) Sodium peroxide : First, NaCl is electrolysed to result in the formation of Na metal (Downs process). This sodium metal is then heated on aluminium trays in air (free of `CO_(2)`)to form its peroxide.
`2Na+O_(2) to O_(2) to Na_(2)O_(2)`
(iv) Sodium Carbonate :


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