Question

what happens win a small piece of sodium is dropped into ethanol

Answer 1

Answer:-

It’ll react with the ethanol (as long as it’s the pure compound) to produce sodium ethoxide CH3CH2ONa (a pale yellow hygroscopic solid)

2CH3CH2OH + 2Na → 2CH3CH2ONa + H2

The alkoxide formed is strongly basic and will easy hydrolyse to sodium hydroxide & ethanol in moist air or aqueous solution.