Group+01

​ Rachel M. **// The Alkali Metals //**

The Alkali Metals are a series of chemical elements forming Group 01 of the Periodic Table: Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Caesium (Cs), and Francium (Fr). Hydrogen, although it was placed directly above the beginning of the group, very rarely shows the expected behavior of the group. The Alkali Metals are silver-colored (Caesium has a low gold ting), soft, low-density metals, which react with Halogens (A series of nonmental elemets from Group 17 on the Periodic Table), to create ionic salts (chemisty salts with ionic compounds), and with water to form strong alkaline (basic) hydroxides. These elements have one electron in their outershell. The Alkali Metals are famous for their vigorous reactions with water, which become increasingly violent as one moves down the group. The reactions with water is as follows: //Alkali Metal// + //Water→ Alkali Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen Gas.// To make these words simple, for example, if you were to place pure sodium in water, it would explode in a deadly reaction.

// ** Basic Facts **

__Lithium__ // Symbol: Li Atomic Number: 3 Atomic Mass: 6.941 Isotopes: 6 Li and 7 Li are the only stable Isotopes that Lithium has, out of the 7 that were discovered. The mass numers range from 5-11.

//__Sodium__// Symbol: Na Atomic Number: 11 Atomic Mass: 22.989 Isotopes: Eightteen Isotopes for Sodium are known, ranging from 18-35.

//__Potassium__// Symbol: K Atomic Number: 19 Atomic Mass: 39.0983 Isotopes: Their are 24 known Isotopes for Potassium, but the most stable are the following: 39 K, 40 K, and 41 K

//__Rubidium__// Symbol: Rb Atomic Number: 37 Atomic Mass: 85.46 Isotopes: Rubidium has 24 known Isotopes, two off which occure naturally, Rb-85 and Rb-87, which is radioactive.



//__Cesium__// Symbol: Cs Atomic Number: 55 Atomic Mass: 132.905 Isotopes: Cesium has at least 39 known Isotopes that range from 112-151.

//__Francium__// Symbol: Fr Atomic Number: 87 Atomic Mass: (223.0) Isotopes: Their are about 34 known Isotopes that range from 199 to 232. Francium-223 and Francim-221 are the only ones that occure in nature.

  __**History**__ Lithium's name comes from the Greek word 'Lithos' meaning 'Stone'. It was discovered by Johan A. Arfvedson in 1817. It was found in a mineral castrate, or Petalate, when Lithium, Aluminum, and tectosilicate crystalize. The pure metal was then studied again the following year by two men by the names of William T. Brande and Humphry Davy. Davy took a small amount of Lithium and burned it, recording that it had a red flame color, similar to the flame coloring of Strontium.

Sodium was discovered by Humphry Davy in 1806 when he realized that he could split substanced into their elements. In 1807 he isolated Sodium for the first time.

Cesium was discoved by Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff in 1860, when they analized the spectrum of mineral water. Cesium was the only element to be discovered by a spectroscope. The origin of the name comes from the latin word "Caesius", meaning 'Sky Blue'. The word is still used today in Great Britian when the word is spelt as 'Caesium'.

**__Lithium__** // Boiling Point **:**// 1347°C // Freezing Point :// 1347°C // Conductivity :// very good // Room temperature phase :// Solid //Density:// .53 g/cm // Solubility :// In water, not very soluable, it will explode. With compounds such as Lithium Chloride, it is very soluable. // Ductility: // Very Ductile // Malleability ://Very malleable // Flammability: // Highly flammable //Reaction with Oxygen:// Lithium is kept in oil because of how dangerous it is, although the reactivity decreases as you move down the group of Alkali metals. When Lithium is exposed to Oxygen, its reaction is similar to the reaction with water, so it will ignite and burn. // General Reactivity :// The general reactivity is pretty much the same as with oxygen. // Uses: // Lithium has the highest specific heat out of any of the solid metals. It is used in heat transfer applications. It is also used to make special glasses and ceramics. It is the lightest known metal and can be alloyed with aluminium, copper, maganese and cadmium to make strong, light weight metals for aircraft. Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) is used to remove carbon dioxide from spacecraft atmospheres. Lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO ) is used in medical reasons as a drug to treat manic depression disorder. **__Sodium__** //Boiling Point:// 883°C // Freezing Point: // 883°C // Conductivity: // good // Room temperature phase: // Solid // Density: //0.97 g/cmSolubility: not very soluble when pure, but with compounds they are almost always very soluable // Ductility :// very poor ductility // Malleability: // very good malleablity // Flammability: // Not at all flammable when pure sodium, but with water it creats sodium hydroxide which is very flammable. //Reaction with Oxygen:// Sodium doesnt react very much with oxygen. // General Reactivity: // pretty close to how it reacts with water. // Uses: // Sodium is used in the production of titanium, sodamine, sodium cyanide, etc. Liquid Sodium has been used as a coolant for nuclear reacters. Sodium vapor is used in street lamps, which is what gives it that eary yellow glow that keeps away the freaky creatures early in the morning when your out at the bus stop. Some common compounds for Sodium are; sodium chloride (NaCl) as table salt, Sodium Carbonate (Na 2 CO 3 ) as soda ash, and baking soda (NaHCO). **__Cesium__** // Boiling Point :// 670°C //Freezing Point:// 670°C //Conductivity:// very good // Room temperature phase :// liquid // Density: //1.873 g/cm //Solubility:// pretty soluable compared to the last two elements listed //Ductility:// very ductile Malleability: very malleable // ​Flammability: // High // Reaction with Oxygen: // Usually burns in air, and reaction with oxygen is burning, but combines with it to use as a getter, a material that is used to remove traces from vacuum tubes. //General Reactivity:// cesium usally only reacts with oxygen, but with placed with certain other elements, it can get pretty crazy. //Uses:// Cesium has the second lowest melting point in the metallic elements, which limits its uses. It is used as a getter (as mentioned above) and also in atomic clocks. Cesium Chloride (CsCl) and Cesium Nitrate (CsNO 3 ) are usually used in the production of other chemicals.
 * Specifics **

Lithium Carbonate is used as a mood-stableizing drug.
 * //__ Fun Facts!!! __//**

Sodium is used in streetlamps to get the yellow glow.

Cesium is the only element out of the elements in Group 1 of the periodic table that has a goldish-ting to its looks. The others are all silvery-white.

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] Lew, Kristi. //The Alkali Metals//. Hardcover ed. Vol. 1. N.p.: Rosen Central, 2009. 19-28. 1 vols. Print.