Group 1 (Alkali Metals)

Question 1

What do Group 1 metals produce when they react with water?

Answer 1

Alkaline Metal Hydroxide and Hydrogen Gas

Question 2

What does Lithium do when it reacts with water?

Answer 2

bubbles of Gas

Question 3

What does Sodium do when it reacts with water?

Answer 3

bubbles of Gas

Melts into a Shiny Ball that Dashes Around the Surface

Question 4

What does Potassium do when it reacts with water?

Answer 4

bubbles of Gas
Melts into a Shiny Ball that Dashes Around the Surface
Burns with a lilac flame

Question 5

What color flame does Lithium produce?

Answer 5

red

Question 6

What color flame does Sodium produce?

Answer 6

yellow/orange

Question 7

What does Rubidium do when it reacts with water?

Answer 7

Explodes with sparks

Question 8

What does Caesium do when it reacts with water?

Answer 8

Violent Explosion Due to Rapid Production of Heat and Hydrogen

Question 9

What does Francium do when it reacts with water?

Answer 9

too reactive, radioactive

Question 10

Explain the Trend in Reactivity in Group 1 in Terms of Electronic Configurations

Answer 10

Reactivity of Group 1 Metals Increases as You Go Down the Group
Each Outer Shell Contains Only One Electron, When Group 1 Metals React, they will Lose One Outer Electron to Get a Full Outer Shell of Electrons
As You Go Down Group 1, the Number of Shells of Electrons Increases (Period Number Increases Down the Periodic Table)
This Means that the Outer Electron is Further Away from the Nucleus so there are Weaker Electrostatic Forces of Attraction
This Requires Less Energy to Overcome the Electrostatic Forces of Attraction Between the Negatively Charged Electron and the Positively Charged Nucleus
This Allows the Electron to be Lost Easily, Making it More Reactive as You Go Down the Group