Ionic Bonding and s-Block Chemistry- Group 1 Flashcards
Describe the state of the first 5 members of group 1
- Metallic solids at room temperature and pressure
2. Melting point of caesium is low enough for it to melt in hot weather
Describe Francium
- Radioactive
- not been isolated as the pure element
- Found as a minor component in uranium minerals
- The longest-lived isotope has a half life of only 22 minutes
What is the chemistry of group 1 elements dominated by
- +1 Oxidation state
Describe the general physical properties of group 1
- Low melting/boiling points and enthalpies of atomisation reflect relatively weak metallic bonding
- Low densities due to large atomic radii and relatively open body-centred cubic structures
How is lithium and sodium prepared
- Industrially by electrolysis of their molten chlorides
2. For sodium, this is carried out in a Downs cell, and CaCl2 is added to reduce melting point
Show the equations that take place in the electrolysis Na
- Reduction at cathode- 2Na+ + 2e- –> 2Na (l)
2. Oxidation at the anode- 2Cl- –> Cl2 (g) + 2e-
How are potassium, rubidium and caesium metals prepared
- By reduction of their molten salts with sodium at high temperatures
Show equation for preparation of K from KCl and say the driving force
- KCl + Na K + NaCl
- Potassium is more reducing than sodium so the equilibrium lies to the left hand side
- More volatile potassium is obtained by fractional distillation, which displaces the equilibrium to the right-hand side
Describe what happens to group 1 metals when they burn in air
- Burn to form oxides
- The major product depends on the metal
- But can all form an oxide, peroxide and superoxides under appropriate conditions
What does lithium burn to form and show equation
- Lithium oxide- Li2O
- 4Li (s) + O2 (g) –> 2Li2O (s)
- O 2-
What does sodium burn to form and show equation
- Sodium peroxide- Na2O2
- 2Na(s) + O2 (g) –> Na2O2 (s)
- O2 2-
What does Potassium and heavier metals burn to form and show equation
- Form superoxides (MO2)
- K(s) + O2 (g) –> KO2 (s)
- O2 -
How do group 1 oxides react with water
- All basic
2. React with water to give hydroxides
Show equations of Li2O, Na2O2, KO2 reactions with water
- Li2O (s) + H2O (l) –> 2LiOH (aq)
- Na2O2 (s) + 2H2O (l) –> 2NaOH (aq) + H2O2 (aq)
- 4KO2 (s) + 2H2O (l) –> 4KOH (aq) + 3O2 (aq)
What can KO2 reaction be used for
- Used in submarine breathing systems to generate O2
2. The KOH product absorbs CO2
Why does the type of oxide produced by combustion change going down the group
- Large anions are stabilised by large cations
- The ionic radius of group 1 cations increase down the group
- And the larger cations are better at stabilising the large peroxide and superoxide ions with respect to decompositions into oxide and oxygen gas
- Lithium peroxide decomposes on heating but sodium peroxide is stable to heating
What else can caesium and rubidium burn to form
- In limited oxygen can form intensely coloured compounds called suboxides
Describe suboxides e.g. Rb9O2
- The metal oxidation state in a suboxide appears to be less than +1- Not the case
- The additional electrons are actually delocalised across the whole structure
- So the formula for Rb9O2 could be written (Rb+)9(O2-)2(e-)5
- These delocalised electrons give rise to metallic behaviour
What is produced when group 1 metals react with metals
- Give hydroxide and hydrogen gas
Describe th reaction of group 1 metals with water
- Very exothermic
- Violence of reaction increases going down the group
- Li, Na, K are all less dense than water so they react on the surface
- All the reactions except Li, the reactions are exothermic enough to melt the metals
- Reaction with K is vigorous to ignite the hydrogen product
- Rb and Cs are denser than water so they sink beneath the surface and react explosively
How is NaOH prepared industrially
- By electrolysis of NaCl solution known as the chloralkali process
- 2NaCl (aq) + 2H2O (l) –> 2NaOH (aq) + H2 (g) + Cl2 (g)
Describe group 1 halides
- Colourless ionic solids with high melting points
How is NaCl obtained
- Mining naturally occuring deposits
2. Evaporation of sea water