Lesson 4 of 6

Group 1: the alkali metals

Goal: Describe how Group 1 metals react and the trend down the group.

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A lump of sodium on a white tile, cut in half with a knife. The cut faces are bright and shiny

The Group 1 elements are the alkali metals. They are soft, and so reactive that they are stored under oil.

  • They are unusual metals. You can cut them with a knife. The cut face is shiny, but it soon turns dull as the metal reacts with the air.
  • They all react with water. The reaction makes hydrogen gas and a metal hydroxide. The hydroxide dissolves to make an alkali.
  • They get more reactive as you go down the group: lithium, then sodium, then potassium.

sodium + water → sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

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Key words in this lesson

Group A column of the periodic table

Metal An element that is usually shiny and a good conductor

Alkali metals The reactive metals in Group 1

Reactive Takes part in chemical reactions easily

Trend A pattern in a property as you go down a group or across a period

For teachers: AQA 3.5.3 · Pearson Edexcel 17.3, 17.4 · Cambridge 9Cp.01