During the reaction of a metal with water, which products are formed?

When a metal reacts with water, the typical products formed are metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas. This is particularly true for reactive metals such as sodium and potassium. In such reactions, the metal displaces hydrogen from the water, resulting in the formation of a metal hydroxide (which is often soluble in water) and hydrogen gas, which can be observed as bubbles.

For example, when sodium reacts with water, it forms sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen gas (H2). The reaction can be represented by the following equation:

[ \text{2Na} + 2\text{H}_2\text{O} \rightarrow 2\text{NaOH} + \text{H}_2 \uparrow ]

This understanding of metal-water reactions helps in predicting the outcomes of such chemical interactions in various scenarios. The formation of nitrogen or oxygen does not typically occur in these reactions, and thus, those options do not accurately describe the expected outcomes. The correct identification of products allows for a better grasp of the chemical behavior of metals when interacting with water.