Alkali Metals 
 

 
The alkali metals are a group of chemical
elements in the periodic table with very
similar properties: they are all shiny, soft,
silvery, highly reactive metals at standard
temperature and pressure and readily lose
their outermost electron to
form cations with charge.
 

• Lower densities than other metals

• One loosely bound valence electron
• Largest atomic radii in their periods
• Low ionization energies
• Low electronegativities
• Highly reactive
 

The alkali metals generally become more dense down

the group.

Element Density (g/cm3)

Lithium 0.53
Sodium 0.97
Potassium 0.86
Rubidium 1.53
Caesium 1.87
 

All alkali metals have 1 electron in their outer shell.

lithium
2,1

sodium
2,8,1

potassium
2,8,8,1
 

The reactivity of alkali metals increases

down the group. 

   y
   t Li
   i
   v
   i
   t
   c Na  The size of each element’s 
   a
   e
   r
 
atoms, and the number of 
   n
K
   i
  full electron shells,
   e
   s
   a
Rb increases down the group.
   e
   r
   c Cs
   n
   i
 

The melting point of alkali metals decreases

down the group.

Element °
Melting point ( C)

Lithium 181

Sodium 98

Potassium 64

Rubidium 39

Caesium 28
 

When alkali metals are heated and added to a jar of 

oxygen, they burn fiercely with a coloured flame.

 lithium   sodium   potassium 

 burns with a red   burns with an  burns with a
flame orange flame lilac flame
 

• is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to

the alkali metal group of chemical elements.

• Lithium and its compounds have several

industrial applications, including heat-resistant
glass and ceramics, high strength-to-
weight alloys used in aircraft, lithium
 batteries and lithium-ion batteries.
 

• Compounds Available:

Lithium Acetate (LiCH3COO)

Synonym: Acetic Acid Lithium Salt
Use: buffer for gel electrophoresis of DNA and RNA

Lithium Oxide (Li2O)

Synonym: Lithium Monoxide, Lithia
Use: flux for ceramic glazes
 

 
Lithium Nitrate (LiNO3 )
Use: manufacture of red colored fireworks and flares

Lithium Aluminate (LiAlO2)

Synonym: lithium aluminium oxide, Lithium
alumanoylolate
Use: inert electrolyte support material of molten
carbonate fuel cells

Lithium Perchlorate (LiClO4 )

Synonym: Perchloric acid, lithium salt
Use: source of oxygen in chemical oxygen generators
 

• Pharmaceutical Preparations:

Lithium Citrate (Li3C6H5O7)

Litarex –  is an international brand name for 

lithium citrate used to treat and prevent
episodes of mania in people with bipolar 
disorder (manic depressive disorder).
 

Lithium Carbonate ( Li2CO3 )

Eskalith is commonly prescribed to treat bipolar 

disorder (also known as manic depression).
 

• It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is

a member of the alkali metals; its only
stable isotope is Na.

• Various industries including petroleum, chemicals,

soaps, textiles and paper have found sodium
compounds extremely beneficial for their processes.
 

Compounds Available:
•

Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO3 )

Synonym: baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and
 bicarbonate of soda
Use: relieves sour stomach

Sodium Peroxide (Na2O2 )

Synonym: Sodium dioxide, Flocool, Solozone,Disodium
 peroxide
Use: used to bleach wood pulp for the production of paper 
and textiles

Sodium Chlorate (NaClO3 )

Synonym: Sodium chlorate(V)
Use: used for making ClO2
 

 
Sodium Thiosulfate (Na2S2O3)
Synonym: Sodium hyposulfite, Hyposulphite of 
soda
Use: used in components of hand warmers and
other chemical heating pads

Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3 )

Synonym: Liquid glass, Waterglass
Use: used in cements, passive fire protection,
refractories, textile and lumber processing and
automobile 
 

•  Pharmaceutical Preparations:
Sodium Sulfate (Na2SO4 ) is also known as Glauber’s Salt,
Thenardite

Moviprep - is an osmotic laxative indicated for cleansing of 

the colon as a preparation for colonoscopy in adults 18
years or older.
 

Sodium Valproate ( C8H15 NaO2 )

Epilim - medicine that is used mainly to

treat epilepsy.
 

• is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly

in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient
heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.

Uses:
• fertilizers  –  potassium is an essential element for 
 plants. It is usually added as a chloride, sulfate ,
nitrate or carbonate.
• fireworks and explosives  –  as potassium nitrate and
 potassium chlorate.
• food preservation  –  as potassium nitrate.
 

Compounds Available:
•

Potassium Chlorate (KClO3)

Synonym: Potcrate
Use: used as an oxidizing agent, disinfectant, explosives
and fireworks

Potassium Sulfate (K 2SO4)

Synonym: Potassium sulphate
Use: used as fertilizers

Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)

Synonym: caustic potash
Use: manufacture of biodiesel and soaps, petroleum
refineries
 

 
Potassium Carbonate (K 2CO3)
Synonym: Potash, pearl ash
Use: used in the production of soap and glass

Potassium Nitrate (KNO3 )

Synonym: Salt petre, Nitrate of potash, Vesta
 powder 
Use: used as fertilizers, food additive, rocket
 propellant and fireworks
 

Pharmaceutical Preparations:

Potassium Chloride (KCl) is also

known as Klorvess

Aldactone  –  used to treat patients

with hypokalemia.

Potassium Iodide (KI) is also known

as Iodide of Potash

Yodefan  –  used to treat lung

conditions or disease in which mucus
complicates the condition. 
 

Potassium Citrate (C6H5K 3O7 ) is also known as Kaliksir,

Urocit-K - used to make the urine less acidic.

 

• is highly reactive, with properties similar to those of other 

elements in Group 1, such as very rapid oxidation in air.

• it is used in infrared radiation producing pyrotechnic

compositions as a colorant and an oxidizer 
in decoys and illumination flares. It is also used as a raw
material for preparation of other rubidium compounds
and rubidium metal, for manufacture of catalysts and
in scintillation counters. It finds uncommon use
in fireworks to produce a red-violet color.
 

• Compounds Available:

• Rubidium Carbonate (Rb2CO3 )

Use: used in glass making

• Rubidium Hydroxide (RbOH)

Use: used in scientific research

• Rubidium Iodide (RbI)

Use: used in infrared radiation producing pyrotechnic
compositions as colorant and oxidizer 

• Rubidium Nitrate (RbNO3 )

Use: compound with a melting point of 642 °C
 

 
• Pharmaceutical Preparation:

• Rubidium Chloride (RbCl)

Use: depressant
 

•   It is a soft, silvery-gold alkali metal with a melting

 point of 28 °C (82 °F), which makes it one of only
five elemental metals that are liquid at (or near) room
temperature.

• Caesium is used in atomic clocks, removing air traces

from vacuum tubes, and in ion propulsion systems.
 

• Compounds Available:

• Cesium Iodide (CsI)

Use: used as an input phosphor of an xray image intensifier 
tube

• Cesium Chloride (CsCl)

Use: used in isopycnic centrifugation

• Caesium bromide (CsBr)

Use: used in optics as a beamsplitter component in wide
 band spectrophotometer 
 

 
• Caesium hydroxide (CsOH)
Use: used as a powerful base

• Caesium nitrate (CsNO3)

Use: same with Rb NO3
 

• It was formerly known as eka-caesium and

actinium K. It is one of the two
least electronegative elements, the other 
 being caesium.
 

Chapter Quiz  
 

• What is the family name for the Group 1 or

1A elements? 

A: alkaline earth metals

B: transition metals
C: alkali metals
D: halogens
 

 
• Alkali metals have how many valence electrons?  

A: 4
B: 3
C: 2
D: 1
 

• Because of the one valence electron, alkali

metals are __________________ reactive. 

A: not
B: highly
C: somewhat
 

 
• Which of the alkali metals is the most
reactive? 
A: lithium
B: potassium
C: francium
D: cesium
 

• Lithium is used in each of the following ways

except... 

A: batteries
B: medications for bipolar disorder
C: airplane parts
D: all of the above
 

• 6. Also known as baking soda?

• 7. What is the international brand name for
lithium citrate?
• 8. What is the synonym name of NaSO4?
• 9. Give 1 property of Alkali Metals.
• 10. Ehat is the flame color of Potassium?