Instructional Master LSM 1.

0A
Teaching Notes for Alternative Exploration:
Alkali Metals (Demonstration)

Suggested Time
20 min

Background Information
Students are asked to test a scientific concept by predicting what will happen when that concept is
tested. The emphasis here is on the trends in the common and relative properties of a family of
elements in the periodic table. Lithium, sodium, and potassium are soft, silver-coloured
conductors of electricity that react violently with water to form basic solutions. In the
demonstration, samples of lithium, sodium, and potassium are observed and tested for mechanical
properties and electrical conductivity. A small piece of each element is placed in water, and the
reactivity is observed.
Be careful when reacting the metal with water. Use only a small piece of the element
(about 5 mm) in a beaker that is half full of water. Make sure that that each piece is completely
covered with mineral oil. The metals come stored in mineral oil, so this should not be a problem.
Use a sharp knife to scrape the surface layer from one side of the piece so that students can
observe the fresh surface. After you put the metal into the water, cover immediately with wire
gauze.

Teaching Suggestions
Teacher Preparation
● Read all MSDS sheets that pertain to the demonstration.
Student Preparation
● Have students predict the physical and chemical properties of lithium, sodium, and potassium
before the demonstration.
Pre-lab Discussions
● Discuss the properties that alkali metals have in common (alkali metals are solid, shiny,
malleable, conductors of electricity).
● Have students describe what they would expect to occur during the demonstration if these
elements are part of a chemical family.
Post-lab Discussions
● Ask students if the elements behaved as they expected. Ask if there is sufficient evidence to
support the conclusion that these elements are a chemical family.
● Have students look at the evidence and discuss whether there is an increase or decrease in the
properties of the alkali metals as you go down a group. Students should realize that the
reactivity of the alkali metals increases as you go down the group.
● Discuss how alkali metals are stored. Since alkali metals react with the air (both oxygen and
nitrogen) and with the water in the air, alkali metals are stored in mineral oil or liquid
paraffin.
Extensions/Modifications
● The Snowbird Software Inc. Inorganic Chemistry module of The Electric Chemistry Building
series allows you to “observe this reaction in a computer simulation.” Falcon Software also
has a computer simulation using video segments. All video discs have short video segments
of the alkali metal reactions.

22 Review Unit Lab and Study Masters Copyright © 2007 Thomson Nelson
 LSM 1.0A (cont’d)
● If the demonstration is done on an overhead projector, a watch glass or piece of glass may be
used instead of the wire gauze. The glass must be etched or ridged to allow the escape of
hydrogen gas.

Materials/Equipment (for demonstration only) Quantity

safety glasses or face shield 1
lab apron 1
safety shield (if available) 1
petri dish 1
tongs 1
tweezers 1
sharp edge (knife or scoop) 1
conductivity apparatus 1
large beaker 1
distilled water
wire gauze square 1
a small piece of lithium (1 mm × 5 mm × 5 mm)
a small piece of sodium (1 mm × 5 mm × 5 mm)
a small piece of potassium (1 mm × 5 mm × 5 mm)

Safety and Disposal

● This investigation must only be carried out by the teacher as a demonstration.
● CAUTION: Lithium, sodium, and potassium are very dangerously reactive elements and
must not be handled directly. There is any explosion risk with their use. A wire gauze or
ridged watch glass over the water container stops splattering of the alkali metal or of the
alkaline solution.
● Strict lab safety must be followed. Anybody standing within two metres must wear eye
protection. A safety shield is recommended.
● In some schools, long-term storage and security of these metals are a concern. This activity
could be done as a Web-based activity.
● The waste solution can be neutralized with sodium carbonate and washed down the drain,
with plenty of running water.

23 Review Unit Lab and Study Masters Copyright © 2007 Thomson

Nelson