Group 1

• • All Group 1 elements have one electron in their outer shell which makes them very reactive
• • They are all soft and have low density
• as you go down the group, the trends are:

  • Increasing reactivity - outer electron more easily lost, electron further from nucleus, attraction between electron and nucleus decrease
  • Lower boiling and melting points
  • Higher relative atomic mass
• • They only ever react to form ionic compounds because it is easy for them to lose their outer electron
• reaction with water:

  • Metal hydroxides and hydrogen are produced
  • More reactive the metal is, the more violent the reaction
  • The amount of energy given out increases down the group
• Reaction with chlorine:

  • metal chloride salts are produced
  • going down the group makes the reaction more violent
• reaction with oxygen:

  • metal oxides are formed
  • sodium reacts to form a mix of sodium oxide and sodium peroxide
  • potassium reacts to form a mix of potassium peroxide and potassium superoxide
• • Group 1 metals tarnish in the air
  • The oxygen reacts with the metal to form a dull metal oxide layer
• • Group 1 metals are more reactive than transition metals - more violent with water, icy
• • Group 1 metals are more reactive than transition metals - more violent with water, oxygen, Group 7
  • group 1 metals have lower density, lower melting points, less strong, less hard than transition metals