Unit 2: Inorganic

Chemistry
The Alkali Metals
 Learning Objectives

• Understand how the similarities in the reactions of these elements

with water provide evidence for their recognition as a family of
elements

• Understand how the differences between the reactions of

these elements with air and water provide evidence for the
trend in reactivity in Group 1

• Use knowledge of trends in Group 1 to predict the properties of other alkali metals

• Explain the trend in reactivity in Group 1 in terms of electronic

configuration
THE ALKALI METALS (GROUP 1)

Lithium Members of group 1 metals have:

Sodium •One electron in their outer shells

Potassium •Similar chemical properties
(Because they have one electron in their outer shell)
Rubidium

Caesium

Francium
THE ALKALI METALS (GROUP 1)

Lithium
Common and relatively safe
Well studied and characterized
Sodium

Potassium

Rubidium Rare and considerably more dangerous.

Well studied and characterized in research labs
Caesium
Second rarest and the most unstable naturally
Francium occurring element. Also radioactive.
We can only predict its characteristics based on
other members of the group
 Properties of group 1 metals

Very reactive metals

•Become more reactive as you move down the group
•Shiny when first cut but tarnish (become dull) very quickly as they
react with the air
• Oxygen to form the metal oxides
• Water vapour to form metal hydroxides

•Storage conditions:
• Under oil (Li, Na, K)
• In sealed glass tubes filled with inert gas (Ru, Cs)
 Physical properties

Very soft metals

•Become softer as you move down the group
•Cut with a knife
Low melting and boiling points
(especially compared to other metals)
Metallic bond in Group 1 metals is between a 1+ cation and the
delocalised electrons (compare to other metals)

Majority of metals form 2+ (and a few 3+)

cations so the metallic bond is much
stronger, making them harder with higher
melting and boiling points
 Melting points

Melting Points
Atomic Melting Point
Number (°C)
Li
Li 3 181

Na 11 98
Na
K 19 63 K
Ru
Cs
Ru 37 39

Cs 55 29
Melting points decrease as you go down the group
 Boiling points

Boiling Points
Atomic Melting Point
Number (°C)
Li
Li 3 1342

Na 11 883

Na
K 19 760
K
Ru
Cs
Ru 37 686

Cs 55 669
Boiling points decrease as you go down the group
 Melting and boiling points

Why do the melting and boiling points

decrease as we go down the group?
Li

The atoms get bigger

•We are adding more electron shells
•Nucleus is therefore getting further
away from the delocalized electrons
holding the atoms together in the
metallic bond
•Strength of metallic bond is lower
•Less energy needed to break forces
of interaction between the atoms
 Density

Density
Atomic Density(g/cm3)
Number
Cs
Li 3 0.53
Ru

Na 11 0.97
Na
K
K 19 0.86
Li

Ru 37 1.53

Cs 55 1.88
Densities increase as you go down the group
 Density

Density
Densities increase as you go down the group

Although the size of the atoms is increasing as you go down the group
(more shells of electrons)
Less atoms able to pack in a given volume (suggesting a lower density)

BUT
The increase in mass is more significant.

Since DENSITY = MASS

VOLUME

Then as mass increases, density increases

 Chemical properties

Electronic configuration
All group 1 metals have one electron in their outer shell
This is why they have common chemical properties

Li

Lithium Sodium Potassium

2,1 2,8,1 2,8,8,1
 Chemical properties

Group 1 metals rapidly react with oxygen in the air

To prevent this oxidation, they are stored under mineral oil

When you remove a piece and

cut it, it rapidly tarnishes

The tarnishing is the reaction of the

metal with atmospheric oxygen

Speed of oxidation: Li < Na < K < Ru < Cs

Increasing reactivity
 Chemical properties

They react with oxygen to form a metal oxide

4M(s) + O2(g) → 2M2O(s)

4Li(s) + O2(g) → 2Li2O(s)

4Na(s) + O2(g) → 2Na2O(s)
4K(s) + O2(g) → 2K2O(s)

You should be able to work these equations out for yourself!

 Chemical properties

If we heat the metals up in the air, the oxidation rate increases, the
reaction becomes more violent and they burn

Lithium burns with a red flame

to form lithium oxide

In all three cases, the

Sodium burns with an orange white metal oxides can
flame to form sodium oxide be clearly seen

Potassium burns with a lilac

flame to form potassium oxide
 Chemical properties

React with halogens to form compounds with the formula MX

2M(s) + X2(g) → 2MX(s)

2Li(s) + Cl2(g) → 2LiCl(s)

2Na(s) + Br2(l) → 2NaBr(s)
2K(s) + I2(s) → 2KI(s)

You should be able to work these equations out for yourself!

 Chemical properties

They all form ionic compounds which contain the

metal as a cation with a 1+ charge

Remember your lists of anions…

Hydroxide: OH- LiOH NaOH KOH

Carbonate: CO32- Li2CO3 Na2CO3 K2CO3
Nitrate: NO3- LiNO3 NaNO3 KNO3
Sulphate: SO42- Li2SO4 Na2SO4 K2SO4
Sulphide: S2- Li2S Na2S K2S
Phosphate: PO43- Li3PO4 Na3PO4 K3PO4
Group 1 ionic compounds are mostly soluble in water
 Chemical properties

Compounds of the alkali metals

Group 1 metal ions are colourless, so their compounds will

all be colourless (or white).

When coloured compounds are encountered, this would be

due to a coloured anion not the group 1 metal

Potassium Manganate (VII) - KMnO 4

(Purple due to the manganate anion)

Potassium dichromate (VI) – K 2Cr2O7

(Orange due to the dichromate anion)
 Chemical properties

React with water to form a metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas

2M(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2MOH(aq) + H2(g)

2Li(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2LiOH(aq) + H2(g)

2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)
2K(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2KOH(aq) + H2(g)

The reactions become more violent as you move down the group
because the metals become more reactive as you move down
 Reaction with water

1. Lithium, Sodium or Potassium

all float because their
densities are less than water

2. Very exothermic reaction: A lot of

heat is given out – enough to melt
Na and K into a ball but not Li

3. Fizzing as hydrogen gas is produced.

This may catch fire due to the heat
• Potassium: purple flame
• Sodium: orange flame
• Lithium: red flame (if it catches fire)
 Reaction with water

4. The metals whizz about the

surface as the hydrogen is
given off in all directions

5. As the metals react, they

become smaller and smaller as
they get used up

6. The solution becomes alkaline due to the

metal hydroxide
• Universal indicator: Blue colour
• Phenolphthalein: Deep pink colour
 Reaction with water

Reactions of Rubidium and Caesium with water

Very fast and violent reactions

Usually explosive

Both metals sink because their densities are greater than

that of water
Rubidium with water
Caesium with water
 Reactivity

Why do the metals become more reactive as you go

down the group?

When group 1 metals react, they lose an electron to become 1+ cations

+ +
Li Li
Na Na

Lithium Li+
Sodium Na+
2,1 2
2,8,1 2,8
Reactivity is related to how easily the metal atoms can lose their single electron
 Increasing reactivity

How easily can the outer electron be lost?

Smaller atom
Larger atom (more shells)
In lithium, it is closer to the nucleus In sodium, it is further from the nucleus
•Stronger force of attraction •Weaker force of attraction
•More difficult to be lost •Easier to be lost
•LESS REACTIVE •MORE REACTIVE
 Summary of group 1 elements

• All metals
• Soft, with melting and boiling points and densities which are very low
for metals
• React rapidly with air to form a coating of the metal oxide
• Need to be stored out of contact with air (under oil, or in sealed glass vials)
• React violently with water to produce hydrogen gas and the metal
hydroxide
• Increase in reactivity as you go down the group
• Form ionic compounds with 1+ cations
• Have mainly white/colourless compounds which dissolve to produce
colourless solutions
Predicting the properties of Francium

Francium is one of the most unstable of the naturally occurring

elements: its longest-lived isotope, francium-223, has a half-life of
only 22 minutes.

No one has ever been able to isolate anything more than trace
amounts to study, so we rely on predicating its properties based on
what we know about other members of the group

It is below Caesium in the table so would be the most reactive

member of the group
Predicting the properties of Francium

Based on our knowledge of other members of the group, we

can predict that Francium:

• Is very soft with a melting point close to room temperature

• Will be a silvery metal that will tarnish immediately on contact with air
• Will react violently with water to produce Francium hydroxide and
hydrogen gas
• Francium hydroxide (FrOH) would be soluble in water and strongly
alkaline
• Francium would produce ionic compounds which would be colourless
or white. They would dissolve in water to produce colourless
solutions
Predicting the properties of Francium

Based on the mathematical model

y = 395.31x-0.636

Substituting x = 87
(atomic number of Fr)

Y would calculate to be 23°C

Predicted melting point of Francium: 23°C

Predicting the properties of Francium

Based on the mathematical model

y = 1667.6x-0.245

Substituting x = 87
(atomic number of Fr)

Y would calculate to be 558°C

Predicted boiling point of Francium: 558°C

Predicting the properties of Francium

Based on the mathematical model

y = 0.0252x + 0.5239

Substituting x = 87
(atomic number of Fr)

Y would calculate to be 2.7g/cm3

Predicted density of Francium: 2.7g/cm3

 Exercises

You should now be able to answer the questions on P129