![]() ![]() All of the alkali metals like to give up their single valence electron," says Dr. In this process, the alkali metal is said to be oxidized, and whatever takes the electron from the alkali metal is reduced. "Since the alkali metals only have one valence electron, they typically achieve this state by giving up that electron. Noble gases (elements like neon and helium) are very unreactive because their outermost electron shells are full. In fact, reactivity in chemistry is defined by the number of electrons in the outermost shell. Having only one electron in the outermost shell makes it very easy for the atoms of alkali metals to reach points of stability – they just need to lose one electron! This willingness and ease of losing an electron to reach a state of equilibrium is known as high reactivity. This outermost shell is also called the valence shell, and the electrons that reside there are called valence electrons. However, elements in that first column of the periodic table all have one electron in their outermost shell. It's these shells of electrons and how alkali metals are structured that make them so reactive.Īll atoms naturally want to have a completely full outermost shell of electrons. The first shell can hold up to two electrons, the second up to eight, the third, 18 and the fourth, 32. These electrons exist in energy shells around the nucleus of the atoms, each of which can hold a varying number of electrons. Surrounding the nucleus of atoms are electrons, which are particles with a negative charge. Substances that are highly alkaline can form strong bases able to neutralize acids and maintain a stable ph level.Įvery element has a nucleus, made up of protons and neutrons, and alkali metals are no different. Alkalinity refers to the pH of the substance, or the ability to neutralize acid. Alkali metals are not the type of metals you would use for coins or houses.Alkali metals are so-called because when they react with water, they create highly alkaline substances. They are malleable (bendable) and sometimes soft enough to be cut with a dull knife. Their light weight and physical properties separate them from other metals. You will find that the alkali group is shiny and light in weight. Often, in chemistry, characteristics are assigned by the way elements look. In fact, when you put some of these pure elements in water (H 2O), they can cause huge explosions. An increased desire to bond means you are more reactive. When you are that close to having a full shell, you want to bond with other elements and lose that electron. That's one electron away from being happy (full shells). Why? They all have one electrons in their outer shell. As with all families, these elements share traits. Now that we've covered that exception, the members of the family include: lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs) and francium (Fr). While hydrogen sits in Group I, it is NOT an alkali metal. Hydrogen is a very special element of the periodic table and doesn't belong to any family. When we told you about families, we said that they were groups of elements that react in similar ways. Who's in the family? Starting at the top we find hydrogen (H). The "one" in this case refers to having one electron in the outermost orbital. When we talk about the groups of the periodic table, scientists use Roman numerals when they write them out. That far left column is Group One (Group I). They are a very different family, even though they have a similar name. You should remember that there is a separate group called the alkaline earth metals in Group Two. ![]() They are also known as the alkaline metals. When looking for families, the first one you will find is the alkali metal family of elements. Let's go to the left side of the periodic table. ![]()
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