Answer:
a) In the presence of hot concentrated caustic soda or hot concentrated sodium hydroxide, zinc reacts to form zincate sodium and hydrogen.
Zn + 2NaOH → Na2ZnO2 + H2
b) Aluminum reacts with sodium hydroxide to form sodium aluminate (aluminum oxide), hydrogen, and sodium oxide.
2Al + 2NaOH + 2H2O → 2Na2AlO2 + 3H2