Reaction of Sodium & Chlorine (with subtitles)

The Sodium is solid, the cholorine gassous. This kind of 2-phases reactions are very slow.
That's why the drop of water.
STEP 1: The water reacts exotermically and violently with sodium, producing gassous molecular hydrogen (H2) and the spreading of Sodium free atoms in gassous form.
STEP 2: This atoms are extremly reactive, so they reacts quicly with Cl2 to form NaCl.

Without the water you will have a very slow reaction in which the Cl2 atmosphere corrodes the surface of Na to form NaCl

Tonzafundetsme
Would that be distilled water you've added?

probably de-ionized

@guitarguru1219
Why? the reaction will work perfectly with normal water

awesome!

water is  a catalyst

waters not the catalyst, water reacts with the sodium in a very violent reaction which provides enough heat for the sodium and clorine to react

lol ya science fail noob.
It's not speeding up the reaction its causing it.

@vladaman1
No, a catalist cannot be consumed in a reaction. Water is THE INITIATOR, is very different