Isopropyl chloride and ethyl chloride both react with Na in presence of dry ether. How many products are obtained?

When isopropyl chloride (2-chloropropane, CH3CHClCH3) and ethyl chloride (chloroethane, CH3CH2Cl) react with sodium (Na) in the presence of dry ether (diethyl ether, (C2H5)2O), they both undergo a similar type of reaction known as a nucleophilic substitution reaction. In this reaction, the chlorine atom in the alkyl chloride is replaced by a sodium atom. The reaction can be represented as follows:

Isopropyl Chloride:
CH3CHClCH3 + 2Na → CH3CH(Na)CH3 + 2NaCl

Ethyl Chloride:
CH3CH2Cl + Na → CH3CH2(Na) + NaCl

In both cases, you obtain two products:

The main product is the corresponding sodium alkoxide or sodium alkyl compound (sodium isopropoxide or sodium ethoxide), depending on whether you started with isopropyl chloride or ethyl chloride.

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is also formed as a byproduct.

So, in each reaction, two products are obtained: the sodium alkoxide or sodium alkyl compound and sodium chloride.