Question

What happens when:

A mixture of sodium acetate and soda lime is heated.

Answer 1

1. In the laboratory methane $\left({\mathrm{CH}}_4\right)$ is prepared when a mixture of sodium acetate $\left({\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COONa}\right)$ and soda lime $\left(\mathrm{NaOH}\right)$ is heated.

2. Anhydrous sodium acetate and soda-lime are taken in the ratio $1:3$ by weight and are mixed together in a hard glass test tube.

3. Test tube is fitted with a cork through which a delivery tube passes.

4. The hard glass test tube is now heated strongly when methane is evolved.

5. Methane thus produced is collected in a gas jar by the downward displacement of water.

The following is the reaction between sodium acetate and soda-lime:

$\underset{\mathrm{Sodim}\mathrm{acetate}}{\underbrace{{\mathrm{CH}}_3\mathrm{COONa}}\left(\mathrm{l}\right)}+\underset{\mathrm{Sodim}\mathrm{Hydroxide}}{\underbrace{\mathrm{NaOH}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}}\underset{\mathrm{Cao}}{\overset{∆}{\to }}\underset{\mathrm{Methane}}{\underbrace{{\mathrm{CH}}_4\left(\mathrm{g}\right)}}+\underset{\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{Carbonate}}{\underbrace{{\mathrm{Na}}_2{\mathrm{CO}}_3}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)}$