Reaction of sodium acetate with soda lime will produce which of the following?

Options

A. Ethane
B. Methane
C. Propane
D. Butane

Explanation

To solve the question regarding the reaction of sodium acetate with soda lime, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Identify the Reactants
We have sodium acetate (CH₃COONa) and soda lime. Soda lime is a mixture of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and calcium oxide (CaO).

### Step 2: Understand the Reaction Type
The reaction between sodium acetate and soda lime is a decarboxylation reaction. Decarboxylation involves the removal of a carboxyl group (CO₂) from a compound.

### Step 3: Write the Structure of Sodium Acetate
Sodium acetate can be represented as:
- CH₃COONa
This consists of a methyl group (CH₃) and a carboxylate group (COO⁻).

### Step 4: Reaction with Soda Lime
When sodium acetate is heated with soda lime, the sodium hydroxide reacts with the acetate ion (CH₃COO⁻) to remove carbon dioxide (CO₂). The reaction can be summarized as follows:

\[ \text{CH}_3\text{COONa} + \text{NaOH} \xrightarrow{\text{CaO, heat}} \text{CH}_4 + \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 \]

### Step 5: Identify the Product
The product of this reaction is methane (CH₄) and sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃). The key point here is that the decarboxylation of sodium acetate results in the formation of methane.

### Conclusion
Thus, the reaction of sodium acetate with soda lime produces methane (CH₄).

### Final Answer
The correct answer is: Methane (CH₄).

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