Alkali metals + halogens

Question 1

What does lithium react with?

Answer 1

• Lithium is the least reactive of the alkali metals.
• Lithium burns with a crimson flame when it reacts with oxygen.
• Lithium floats on the surface of water and will release bubbles of hydrogen gas

Question 2

What does sodium react with?

Answer 2

• The metal floats on the surface of water, which releases enough heat to melt the sodium. The sodium moves quickly across the surface of the water.
• Sodium burns with a yellow/orange flame when it reacts with oxygen

Question 3

What does potassium react with?

Answer 3

-The metal floats on the surface and then it burns with a lilac flame when it reacts with oxygen

Question 4

What happens when the metal reacts with water?

Answer 4

• the energy released is enough to melt the metal.

Question 5

What happens when they react with oxygen?

Answer 5

-Rapidly turns from silvery shiny to dull as a metal oxide

Question 6

What happens when they react with chlorine?

Answer 6

-A metal chloride is formed (e.g. sodium chloride), which dissolves in water to give a colourless solution