Sodium reacts with alcohol as given below `2Na+ 2ROH rarrH_2+2[Na^(+) bar(O)R]` place the types of alcohol into decreasing order of reactivity towards Na

Options

A. `1^@ gt 2^@ gt 3^@`
B. `1^@ gt 3^@ gt 2^@`
C. `2^@ gt 3^@ gt 1^@`
D. `3^@ gt 2^@ gt 1^@`

Answer

To determine the decreasing order of reactivity of different types of alcohols (primary, secondary, and tertiary) towards sodium, we need to consider the acidic nature of these alcohols. Here’s a step-by-step solution:

### Step 1: Understand the Reaction
The reaction of sodium with alcohol can be represented as:
\[ 2 \text{Na} + 2 \text{ROH} \rightarrow \text{H}_2 + 2 [\text{Na}^+ \text{O}R^-] \]
In this reaction, sodium reacts with alcohol (ROH) to produce hydrogen gas (H₂) and sodium alkoxide (NaOR).

### Step 2: Analyze the Acidic Nature of Alcohols
The reactivity of alcohols towards sodium depends on their acidic nature. The more acidic the alcohol, the more readily it will react with sodium.

### Step 3: Classify Alcohols
- **Primary Alcohols (1°)**: These have one alkyl group attached to the carbon bearing the hydroxyl (-OH) group. They are generally more acidic.
- **Secondary Alcohols (2°)**: These have two alkyl groups attached to the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group. They are less acidic than primary alcohols.
- **Tertiary Alcohols (3°)**: These have three alkyl groups attached to the carbon bearing the hydroxyl group. They are the least acidic.

### Step 4: Determine the Order of Reactivity
As the number of alkyl groups increases, the acidic nature of the alcohol decreases due to the +I (inductive) effect of the alkyl groups, which increases electron density on the oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group. Therefore, the order of reactivity towards sodium is:
- **Primary Alcohols > Secondary Alcohols > Tertiary Alcohols**

### Step 5: Conclusion
The decreasing order of reactivity of alcohols towards sodium is:
1. Primary Alcohols
2. Secondary Alcohols
3. Tertiary Alcohols

### Final Answer
**Primary > Secondary > Tertiary**

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