Sodium is stored under kerosene, but white phosphorus is stored under water…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Sodium is stored under kerosene, but white phosphorus is stored under water. Explain each choice. Why would storing sodium under water be dangerous?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Group 1 metals are soft, have one outer electron and react with water to give hydrogen and an alkali; reactivity rises down the group. Group 2 metals are harder and less reactive. Halogens, group 17, get darker and less reactive down the group, and a more reactive halogen displaces a less reactive one. Noble gases have full shells.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. Sodium. It reacts with both air and water. Kerosene keeps both away and does not react with it.
Step 2. Phosphorus. It catches fire in air, but it does not react with water, so water keeps the air off.
Step 3. The danger. Sodium and water react fast, giving heat and hydrogen, which can catch fire.
Answer: each is kept away from what it reacts with; sodium in water would fizz and could set the hydrogen alight.
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