(a) "Sodium is a highly reactive metal and it cannot be obtained from its oxide by healing … ) How can sodium be obtained…
Answers:
(a) Metallic compounds like sodium cannot be reduced by carbon or any other reducing agent due
to their high affinity with oxygen.
(b) Sodium is obtained from sodium chloride by electrolytic reduction. Sodium chloride in molten
form is electrolysed.
Sodium is deposited at cathode and chlorine is liberated at anode.
At cathode : Na+ + e– → Na
At anode : 2C– → Cl2 + 2e–