Group 1 Elements

• Group I elements


  Alkali metals
• The Group 1 Elements


  • Reactive
  • Soft Metals
• The alkali metals


  • lithium
  • sodium
  • potassium
  • rubidium
  • caesium
  • francium
• Alkali metals


  Have one electron in their outer shell
• As you go down Group 1


  • Reactivity increases
  • Melting and boiling points get lower
  • Relative atomic mass goes up
• Trends


  Patterns in the properties of the alkali metals
• Alkali Metals Form Ionic Compounds with Non-Metals
• Group 1 elements

  Easily lose their one outer electron to form a full outer shell, so they form 1+ ions
• Reaction with water


  1. Alkali metal + water → metal hydroxide + hydrogen

  2. The more reactive the alkali metal, the more violent the reaction
• Lithium, sodium and potassium float and move around the surface, fizzing furiously
• The reaction with potassium gives out enough energy to ignite the hydrogen (set it on fire)
• Reaction with chlorine


  Alkali metal + chlorine → metal chloride
• As you go down the group

  The reaction with chlorine gets more vigorous
• Reaction with oxygen


  1. Group 1 metals can react with oxygen to form a metal oxide

  2. Different types of oxide will form depending on the Group 1 metal
• Group 1 metals are shiny but when they react with oxygen in the air they turn a dull grey (they tarnish)