Group 1 metals

• Group 1 metals are called the alkali metals and they are: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium and francium. They are stored under oils to prevent them from reacting with oxygen and water vapour in the air
• Properties

  Group 1 metals are easily cut with a knife

  2. Low density so they float on water

  3.They have low melting and boiling points
• Reactivity increases the further down group 1
• Lithium floats,fizzes,moves around,becomes smaller

  Sodium melts into a ball,moves in a zigzag, a bit of fizzing

  Potassium Fire with a lilac flame, vigorous fizzing, smaller in size, floats, shoots across surface
• AS we go down group 1 the distance between the positive nucleus and the outer elsectron gets bigger

  The force of attraction between the positive and the otuer gets weaker

  There fore the otuer elctron is lost more easily
• Reaction with oxygen

  Lithium red flame

  Sodium orange flame

  Potassium lilac flame