Chapter 9 : Alkali metals (Group IA)

Alkali Metals
• Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Caesium, Fransium
• Show a remarkable similarity to one another even their compounds
• The sodium and potassium are the most important.
• Alkali metals can______________ if they are exposed to water.

Occurrence of Alkali Metals

 Are far too reactive to occur in the uncombined state.
 The compounds of sodium and potassium are widely distributed.
Sodium
 The fourth most abundant element overall and the most abundant alkali metal
 The most abundant and important compound is being the sodium chloride (common salt).
 The solid sodium chloride deposits is known as rock salts.
 Applications: - Used in medicine, agriculture and photography.
- Liquid sodium is sometimes used to cool nuclear reactors.
- Used in street lights, soap, batteries, table salt (NaCl) (a compound vital to life)
and glass.
Potassium
 The seventh most abundant element.
 Compounds -- Present in sea water and in most clays and silicate rocks
 Most important sources – Carnallite, KMgCl3.6H2O
 Applications: - Used as potash (potassium carbonate) in making glass, soap, lenses and salt substitute.
- As potassium nitrate (KNO3, also called saltpeter) it is used to make explosives
and to colour fireworks in mauve.
- Glass treated with liquid potassium is much stronger than regular glass.
- Potassium chloride (KCl) is used as a substitute for table salt and is also used to
stop the heart, e.g. in cardiac surgery and in executions by lethal injection in
solution.

Metals Colour Density (kg m-3) Melting point (0C) Boiling point (0C)
Sodium Silver white 968 97.27 883
Potassium Silver white 890 63.38 759
Some properties of Sodium and Potassium

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Chemical properties of Alkali Metals
Reactions with non-metals
(1) Reactions with water
2Na(s) + 2H2O(l)  ___________________________
2K(s) + 2H2O(l)  ___________________________
 Sodium metal reacts rapidly with water to form a colourless solution of sodium hydroxide and
hydrogen gas. The is an ________________ reaction, the sodium metal may well become so
hot that it catches fire and burns with a characteristic orange colour. The reaction is slower than
that of potassium but faster than that of lithium.

(2) Reactions with air

 When sodium is exposed to the air (oxidized in air), the ____________ sodium oxide is
formed.
4Na(s) + O2(g)  ___________
 It will burnt if heated in air and produce intense ___________flame, the result is yellow to
white sodium peroxide will be formed.
2Na(s) + O2(g)  __________________
 When potassium is exposed to the air (oxidized in air), the pale yellow potassium oxide is
formed.
4K(s) + O2(g)  2K2O(s)
 If potassium is burned in air, it will produce ________ flame, the result is mainly formation of
yellow potassium peroxide (K2O2)and even potassium superoxide (KO2).
2K(s) + O2(g)  K2O2(s)
K(s) + O2(g)  ____________

(3) Reactions with halogens

 2 M (s) + X2  2MX M: Na, K； X: F, Cl, Br, I

 Sodium and potassium react vigorously with all halogens to form sodium and potassium
halides.
2Na(s) + F2(g)  2NaF(s) 2K(s) + F2(g)  2KF(s)
2Na(s) + Cl2(g)  2NaCl(s) 2K(s) + Cl2(g)  2KCl(s)
2Na(s) + Br2(g)  2NaBr(s) 2K(s) + Br2(g)  2KBr(s)
2Na(s) + I2(g)  2NaI(s)

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(4) Reaction with acids
 Sodium and potassium readily dissolve in dilute acid to form a solution containing the Na+
ions or K+ ions and hydrogen gas.
2Na(s) + HCl (aq)  __________________
2K(s) + HCl (aq)  ___________________
• Alkali metals are strong _________________ agent.
• Their compounds are very difficult be separated or reduced by general chemical reaction.

Compounds of Alkali Metals

Sodium Hydroxide
 White crystalline solid
 Very __________________– absorbs moisture from the air to form a solution
 When it is exposed to the air, the solution formed becomes coated with a white crust, i.e sodium
carbonate formed by combination of NaOH with CO2
2NaOH + CO  Na CO + H O
2 2 3 2
2-
2OH- (aq) + CO (g)  CO (aq) + H O (l)
2 3 2

 Very soluble in water, exothermic reaction

 Uses : -Manufacture of soap, mercerization (丝化作用) of cotton, manufacture of viscose rayon,
manufacture of sodium compounds

Sodium Carbonate
 The most important carbonate
 Alkali metal carbonates are readily soluble in water, except lithium carbonate
 Sodium carbonate-10-water , Na2CO3.10H2O (washing soda) are efflorescent (give up water of
crystallization to the atmosphere)
 Uses: Manufacture of glass, water glass and sodium hydroxide, used for water softening, used in
the paper and textile industries.

Sodium Chloride

 Mainly from sea water

 Mineral that needed by human body to maintain healthy.
 Used large amount in produce sodium carbonate, chlorine gas, hydrochloric acid, soap, etc.
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  Uses : - As __________________, glazing, earthenware, salting out of soap
- React with concentrated sulphuric acid to sodium sulphate and hydrochloric acid
2NaCl + H2SO4  Na2SO4 + 2HCl
- Produce NaOH, Cl2, H2, NaClO, NaClO3 through electrolysis of brine
- Produce sodium and chlorine through electrolysis of molten salt.
Cathode (reduction): ____________________________
Anode (oxidation): _____________________________
- Manufacture of NaCO3 and NaHCO3 by the process ____________ (碳酸钠氨制法).

The overall Solvay process:

2 NaCl + CaCO3 → Na2CO3 + CaCl2

A simplified description can be given using the four different, interacting chemical reactions :
 ________________________________________________

Carbon dioxide (CO2) passes through a concentrated aqueous solution of sodium chloride (NaCl) and
ammonia (NH3).

 ___________________________________________

The carbon dioxide required for reaction (1) is produced by heating (“calcination”煅烧) of the
limestone 石灰石 at 950 - 1100 °C. The calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in the limestone is partially
converted to quicklime (calcium oxide (CaO)) and carbon dioxide.

 ______________________________________________________

The sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) that precipitates out in reaction (1) is filtered out from the hot
ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) solution, and the solution is then reacted with the quicklime 生石灰
(calcium oxide (CaO)) left over from heating the limestone in step (2).

 _______________________________________________________

• The ammonia from reaction (3) is recycled back to the initial brine solution of reaction (1).

• The sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) precipitate from reaction (I) is then converted to the final
product, sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), by calcination (160 - 230 0C), producing water and carbon
dioxide as byproducts

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 Solvay Process in Industry

Tests for Alkali Metals

 Detected by the _________________ since the sodium and potassium form no simple insoluble
compounds.

 The non-luminous flame is coloured according to the ion present.

Metal Flame colour

Sodium Intense yellow

Potassium Lilac

Lithium Crimson

Rubidium Pale purple

Caesium Purple blue