THE PERIODIC TABLE

AND
ALKALI METALS IN WATER
A SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT BY CHASE HAACKE

PERIODIC TABLE
BREAKDOWN

THERE ARE 118 ELEMENTS ON THE

PERIODIC TABLE

THERE ARE 8 MAIN GROUPS WITHIN THE

PERIODIC TABLE:

ALKALI METALS

ALKALI EARTH METALS

TRANSITION METALS

SEMIMETALS

NONMETALS

BASIC METALS

HALOGENS

NOBLE GASES

Most of the elements on the Periodic Table share

oneattribute which is that they are all a type of metal.
Metals have the following characteristic properties:
Efficient conduction of heat and electricity
Malleability(They can be hammered into sheets)
Ductibility(They can be pulled into wires)
A lustrous (shiny) appearance

ALKALI METALS
Characteristics of Alkali Metals:

Located in Group 1 of the periodic

table
Consist of: Lithium(Li),
Sodium(Na), Potassium(K),
Rubidium(Rb), Cesium(Cs), and
Francium(Fr)
Shiny and Soft
Highly Reactive
Readily lose their Outermost
electron to form Cations with
+1Charge at standard
temperature and pressure
Can only be found naturally in
salts rather than a free element

LITHIUM

Lithium has the lowest reactivity to

water of the Alkali Metals.
It is a soft white metal and is the
lightest of the alkali metals.
Lithium is a good conductor of heat
and electricity
Like other alkali metals, it readily
gives up its valent electron to form a
cation
Lithiums low reactivity is due to the
proximity of its valence electron to
its nucleus.
Lowest melting point of all metals

(180C)

Highest melting/boiling point of

Alkali Metals.

Heres a video of Lithium reacting to

water. Since Lithium is exothermic, it
gives off a lot of heat. It gives off
hydrogen gas as it reacts which
causes it to move around as the
video states.

SODUIUM

Sodium is a soft silvery metal, like all

the other alkali metals, is highly
reactive.
Sodium does not occur in nature,
instead it must be prepared from its
compounds.
Sodium is the sixth most abundant
element on the Earths crust
It exists in minerals such as feldspars,
sodalite, and rock salt (NaCl)
Highly soluble in water.
Sodium compounds are commonly
used in hand soaps and de-icing salts.
Sodium is less reactive than
Potassium but more reactive than
Lithium.
Sodium is exothermic and generates
heat energy when it reacts with water.

Heres a video of Sodium reacting to

Water. After reacting with water,
Sodium produces hydrogen gas and
sodium hydroxide as it melts in
water.

POTASSIUM (EVIL!)

Potassium was first isolated from

potash or ash of plants.
Potassium in nature only occurs in
ionic salts.
Like the other alkali metals,
Potassium is a silvery white soft
metal.
Like other alkali metals, it readily
gives up its valent electron to form a
cation
Chemically, Potassium is similar to
Sodium but was verified as a different
element through electrolysis in 1807.
Potassium ions are necessary for all
living things.
Potassium is second least dense metal.
Low ionization energy of 418.8kJ/mol

Heres a video of Potassium reacting

in water. Like other alkali metals, as it
reacts, it gives off hydrogen gas and
heat in an explosive reaction.
Potassium melts at 760 C in 6
seconds in water.

RUBIDIUM

Rubidium metal is easily vaporized

and has a convenient spectral
absorption range.
Natural Rubidium is a mix of two
isotopes; 85Rb, which makes up 72%
and 87Rb that makes up the
remaining 28% and is slightly
radioactive.
Second most electropositive of the
non-radioactive alkali metals.
Rubidium melts at 39.3 C and like
other alkali metals, reacts with water
by emitting hydrogen gas and is also
exothermic and produces heat energy.
Rubidium forms alloys with metals
like gold, iron, and potassium.
Rubidium has been known to combust
in air. Rubidium chloride is the most
used form of Rubidium

Heres a video of Rubidium reacting

in water. As other alkali metals, it
violently reacts with water, much
more than Potassium, Sodium or
Lithium.

Cesium

Cesium has a melting point of 29 C.

Cesium is a soft silvery gold metal
and is one of 5 metals that turn liquid
at room temperature.
Cesium is extremely reactive and
pyrophoric element.
Cesium has the lowest hardness of all
elements.
Boiling point for Cesium is 641 C.
Can react with water a very low
temperatures (-116 C) and ignite.
Classified as a hazardous material due
to its high reactivity.
Cesium explodes instantly upon
contact with water, with less time for
hydrogen gas to form, therefore is less
powerful than sodium reacting to
water.

This video of Cesium reacting to

water shows that it explodes
immediately as it touches the waters
surface. The reaction happens very
quickly and violently. The video
reiterates the violent reaction of
Rubidium, but then shows the even

FRANCIUM

Francium in bulk has never been seen

but would have a highly reflective
appearance.
Francium has a half-life of 22
minutes.
Francium is an extremely rare
compound found in Uranium and
thorium ores where francium
continuously forms and decays.
Approximately 1 ounce of Francium
exists on the Earths crust.
Franciums melting point is 27 C.
Francium has a higher ionization than
cesium.
If enough Francium were produced, it
would have the most violent reaction
of all the alkali metals.
The physical characteristics of
Francium is unknown.

There is not a known recorded video

of Francium reacting in water
because of its extremely violent
reaction to it. Since Francium has a
very low melting point at only 27C
(80F), its very difficult to retain a
bulk of Francium due to its extreme
radioactivity.

SUMMARY
All of the alkali metals have very similar properties: they are soft, shiny and very reactive to water. In addition, when
they react with water, they give off hydrogen gases that are extremely flammable. Most of the alkali metals melt at very
low temperature and also have a very low boiling point compared to other metals. The alkali metals also react to air and
tarnish very quickly when exposed to it through oxidation by atmospheric moisture and oxygen in the air. Alkali metals
must be stored in oil because they are so reactive and will react with the open air. While all the alkali metals react in water,
not all of them react as violently. Lithium and Sodium are less dense than water and therefore float as they react to water.
While Rubidium and Cesium react very violently as they just touch the surface of water. The only alkali metal that has little
known about it is Francium due to its extremely high radioactivity and rarity as its the rarest of all the alkali metals. In
fact, its one of the rarest, known to only have about 1g of Francium on the Earths crust. While other alkali metals such as
sodium and potassium are in a much greater abundance on the Earths crust.
In my research Ive discovered that all the alkali metals readily give up their outermost electron to form cations with
+1 charge. I also learned that two of the alkali metals produce the most accurate atomic clocks that are an accurate
representation of time. Those two elements are rubidium and cesium, both of which are radioactive, cesium being
considered hazardous material for its radioactivity. Sodium and Potassium, while not particularly violent reactors in water,
take great roles as electrolytes for the human body. From Lithium to Francium, all of the alkali metals increase in atomic
mass and decrease in electronegativity, but at the same time increasing in reactivity to water and their densities in it. All of
the alkali metals are not found naturally in nature, they are usually a compound of a mineral. Taking the Chemistry class
has helped me in this research by learning the reasons to why these elements react and what happens as a result or product
of the reaction. These newly acquired knowledges will help me in my pursuit of a profession in Science and which
direction or field that I would like to pursue. There were a lot of ah-hah moments as I progressed through this course and
figured out the mathematical complexities that make up Chemistry. I am thankful for the knowledge of this course as well
as learning more about alkali metals and their amazing chemistry.