The Alkali Metals

• The metals in group 1 are known as the alkali metals.

• Alkali metals have the following properties:

• They are shiny, silver metals.

• They are soft (can be cut with a knife).

• Although they are solids at room temperature, they have low melting and boiling points (all except lithium have a melting point less than 100°C).

• They have low densities (lithium, sodium and potassium can float on water).

• They are highly reactive (none occur naturally in their elemental form).

• They have one valence electron, which they readily lose to form ions with a charge of +1.

• They react vigorously with water to form strong alkalis (basic solutions) and hydrogen gas.

• They form similar white salts when reacting with group 17 elements.

The metals in group 1 are known as the alkali metals.