Group 1 Elements
Referring to the table created from observing the characteristics of the three elements from group 1, Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium, we can see that they all share the appearance of being lustrous and metallic, with a silvery-white presentation, and it is also known that they are all alkali metals. It is also noticed that they are all soft metals easily cut with a knife rather than most metals such as calcium or iron. All three elements are stored within oil, with Sodium as an exception being stored in kerosene, as an attempt to prevent oxidation as metals in group 1 appear to oxidise in the open air quite rapidly.
As previously mentioned both metals readily react with oxygen, producing a dull metallic element, or crystallised substance like Sodium and Potassium. The reason for these elements reacting so rapidly to the oxygen residing in the open air is most likely related to their chemical properties or more specifically their electronegativity which is the force that relates to the tendency of an atom to attract electrons from other atoms. Electronegativity decreases the further an element in down in a group, therefore atoms with less electronegativity will react more readily as there is a larger difference in electronegativity. For example if …show more content…
Once again this varying intensity in reaction with the water relates to electronegativity, as the lower in the group the reactant is, the more readily it reacts. Referring to the observations previously mentioned, it is shown that not only does Sodium and Potassium reacts more readily than that of Lithium; it is also shown that the complete reaction is shorter. This is because the atom within the substance is able to discharge its electrons quicker due to the difference in
Referring to the table created from observing the characteristics of the three elements from group 1, Lithium, Sodium, and Potassium, we can see that they all share the appearance of being lustrous and metallic, with a silvery-white presentation, and it is also known that they are all alkali metals. It is also noticed that they are all soft metals easily cut with a knife rather than most metals such as calcium or iron. All three elements are stored within oil, with Sodium as an exception being stored in kerosene, as an attempt to prevent oxidation as metals in group 1 appear to oxidise in the open air quite rapidly.
As previously mentioned both metals readily react with oxygen, producing a dull metallic element, or crystallised substance like Sodium and Potassium. The reason for these elements reacting so rapidly to the oxygen residing in the open air is most likely related to their chemical properties or more specifically their electronegativity which is the force that relates to the tendency of an atom to attract electrons from other atoms. Electronegativity decreases the further an element in down in a group, therefore atoms with less electronegativity will react more readily as there is a larger difference in electronegativity. For example if …show more content…
Once again this varying intensity in reaction with the water relates to electronegativity, as the lower in the group the reactant is, the more readily it reacts. Referring to the observations previously mentioned, it is shown that not only does Sodium and Potassium reacts more readily than that of Lithium; it is also shown that the complete reaction is shorter. This is because the atom within the substance is able to discharge its electrons quicker due to the difference in