Answer
The balanced chemical equation for this reaction is:
$2 Na(s) + 2 H_2O(l) \rightarrow H_2(g) + 2 NaOH(aq)$
Work Step by Step
Solid sodium, and liquid water are the reactants; hydrogen gas and aqueous sodium hydroxide are the products of this reaction. The unbalanced reaction is given as:
$ Na(s) + H_2O(l) \rightarrow H_2(g) + NaOH(aq)$
We balance this equation by first balancing the $H$ atoms, then $O$ atoms, and finally the $Na$ atoms. The balanced chemical equation for the reaction then becomes:
$2 Na(s) + 2 H_2O(l) \rightarrow H_2(g) + 2 NaOH(aq)$