Group 1 (Alkali Metals) Flashcards

All 5 cards in this deck

Where in the periodic table are the alkali metals found?

Group 1 – the first (far-left) column.
e.g. lithium, sodium, potassium

Give two physical properties of the group 1 metals.

Soft (soft enough to be cut with a knife) and relatively low melting points.
They also have low density.

What would you see when a small piece of sodium is added to water?

It floats, fizzes (effervescence), melts into a ball, moves around on the surface and gets smaller until it disappears.

What is the balanced equation, with state symbols, for sodium reacting with water?

$2\text{Na(s)} + 2\text{H}_2\text{O(l)} \rightarrow 2\text{NaOH(aq)} + \text{H}_2\text{(g)}$

The products are sodium hydroxide (an alkaline solution) and hydrogen.

How does the reaction of potassium with water differ from that of sodium?

Potassium reacts more vigorously. Enough heat is released to ignite the hydrogen produced, so it burns with a lilac flame.