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*members of the alkali metal family of column IA

It explodes!

The alkali metals (lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), and cesium (Cs)) are very strong reducing agents. In other words, the elements very much want to get rid of 1 electron so that it will have the noble gas configuration (of the noble gas with atomic number one less than the alkali metal). For instance, when you add sodium metal to water, the sodium gives up one electron to water to form OH- and H2 gas. The reaction is identical for all the elements in the first column of the Periodic Table (Just replace "Na" in the equation with the symbol for the other element).

Here is the reaction:

2Na + H2O --> 2Na+ + 2OH- + H2

The electron is being lost by the sodium metal (it is oxidized) and it is being gained by the hydrogen. The oxidation state of Na metal is 0, but Na+ is produced with an oxidation state of 1. The oxidation state of H in water is 1, but in H2, the oxidation state is 0. The oxidation state of oxygen is not changed in the reaction.

The reaction becomes more violent for elements lower in that group (Li < Na < K < Rb < Cs). Adding these elements to water will often cause an explosion due to the extremely exothermic nature of the reaction, and is thus extremely dangerous. In fact, some alkali metals will react violently just with moisture in the air! Also, these reactions produce hydrogen gas, which is quite flammable.

See the Web Links for more information, and make sure to watch the impressive videos of massive explosions due to sodium added to water! KA-BOOM!!!

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14y ago

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