What are the uses of alkali metals?
Soft, silvery-white alkali lithium is the lightest metal and the lightest solid element. Highly reactive and flammable, lithium has to be stored in mineral oil. Industrial applications include heat-resistant glass and ceramics, lithium grease lubricants, flux additives for iron, steel and aluminium production.
What are the uses and properties of alkali metals?
Physical properties. The alkali metals have the high thermal and electrical conductivity, lustre, ductility, and malleability that are characteristic of metals. Each alkali metal atom has a single electron in its outermost shell.
Which property decreases down with elements of Group 1?
Both the melting and boiling points decrease down the group.
What are uses for lithium?
The most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles. Lithium is also used in some non-rechargeable batteries for things like heart pacemakers, toys and clocks.
What is are the important uses of alkali or metal alkali?
(iii) Lithium cabonate is used in medicines. (iv) Sodium is used to make Na/Ph alloy. Potassium chloride is used as a fertilizer. Potassium hydroxide is used in the manufacture of soft soap.
What is the chemical properties of Group 1?
The alkali metals are a group of chemical elements from the s-block of the periodic table with similar properties: they appear silvery and can be cut with a plastic knife. Alkali metals are highly reactive at standard temperature and pressure and readily lose their outermost electron to form cations with charge +1.
Why does MP and BP decrease down Group 1?
When any of the Group 1 metals is melted, the metallic bond is weakened enough for the atoms to move more freely, and is broken completely when the boiling point is reached. The decrease in melting and boiling points reflects the decrease in the strength of each metallic bond.
Which properties decrease down a group?
In general, the properties that decrease and increase down a group in the periodic table respectively are:
- electronegativity and atomic radius.
- electronegativity and electron gain enthalpy.
- atomic radius and electronegativity.
- electron gain enthalpy and electronegativity.
Why does the melting point decrease down Group 1?
What happens to physical properties of Group 1 elements?
Trend of change in the physical properties The physical properties of the elements vary gradually when going down Group 1 as shown in Table. The atomic radius (atomic size) of alkali metals increases gradually down the group. The number of shells occupied with electrons increases down the group.
Why are Group One elements strong reducing agents?
Group one elements are strong reducing agents because they have one valence electron in their outermost shell therefore they are loosely bound by the nucleus causing them to increase in their atomic size and as a result their ionisation potential ( minimum amount of energy to remove an electron from the outermost shell ) is less.
Why are alkali metals part of Group 1A?
Alkali metals or Group 1A elements belong to a common group due to its ns 1 valence electronic configuration. The properties of an element have periodic dependence on its atomic number but not on atomic weight. These are similar to Group 17 (Halogens) in a way that, it attains noble gas configuration after losing its valence electron.
What are the safety precautions for Group 1 metals?
Safety precautions in handling Group 1 elements. Alkali metals are very reactive. Alkali metals, when exposed, can react with oxygen and water vapour in the air. Hence, alkali metals such as lithium, sodium and potassium must be kept in paraffin oil, whereas rubidium and caesium are stored in sealed glass tubes.