Question

What is the action of soda-lime on sodium acetate?

Answer 1

Sodium salts of carboxylic acids on heating with soda lime give hydrocarbons that contain one carbon atom less than the carboxylic acid. For example, 

\[\ce{R - CO\overset{\ominus}{O}\overset{\oplus}{Na} + NaOH ->[CaO][\Delta] R - H + Na2CO3}\]

\[\ce{\underset{(Sodium acetate)}{CH3 - CO\overset{\ominus}{O}\overset{\oplus}{Na}} + NaOH ->[CaO][\Delta] \underset{(Methane)}{CH4} + Na2CO3}\]