Acetamide is treated separately with the following reagents. Which one of these would give methyl amine ?

Options

A. `NaOH//Br_(2)`
B. Sodalime
C. Hot conc. `H_(2)SO_(4)`
D. `PCl_(5)`

Explanation

To determine which reagent will convert acetamide to methyl amine, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Structure of Acetamide**:
Acetamide has the chemical structure CH₃C(=O)NH₂. It consists of a carbonyl group (C=O) attached to an amine group (NH₂).

2. **Understand the Reaction Type**:
The reaction we are interested in is known as the Hofmann degradation reaction. This reaction involves the conversion of an amide to a primary amine with the loss of one carbon atom.

3. **Identify the Reagents**:
The reagents typically used in the Hofmann degradation reaction are sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and bromine (Br₂).

4. **Write the Reaction**:
When acetamide reacts with NaOH and Br₂, the carbonyl carbon is eliminated, leading to the formation of methyl amine (CH₃NH₂) and sodium bromide (NaBr) as a byproduct.

The reaction can be summarized as:
\[ \text{CH}_3\text{C(=O)NH}_2 + \text{NaOH} + \text{Br}_2 \rightarrow \text{CH}_3\text{NH}_2 + \text{NaBr} + \text{H}_2\text{O} \]

5. **Conclusion**:
Therefore, the reagent that will give methyl amine when acetamide is treated is **NaOH and Br₂**.

### Final Answer:
The correct reagent that will convert acetamide to methyl amine is **NaOH and Br₂** (Option A).