2. Alkali Metals Putting the ‘K’ in Kaboom

3. Similarities of All Alkali Metals Reacts violently with water making Hydrogen gas Silver or golden in color Very malleable (moldable with a hammer) Metal must be stored away from anions Forms alkali hydroxides which are strong bases No form is insoluble in water. Not found as raw metal in nature Wikipedia, 2010 and About, 2010

4. Properties continued Can be cut with a knife Salts give red/crimsom color to flames. Hydrogen only exists as a solid under very high pressure like inside stars. The top ones are more abundant in nature and the lowest ones are least abundant. Francium is rarest and only seen in microscopic amounts. Wikipedia, 2010 and About, 2010

5. Found as Hydrogen- as a gas in the atmosphere of earth and stars Lithium-Lepidolite, spodumene, petalite, and amblygonite minerals or as chloride salt in briny water Sodium- soda niter, cryolite, amphibole, zeolite and most often as Chloride in Salt water Potassium- pot ash (KOH), sylvite, carnallite, langbeinite, and polyhalite and the chloride salt Rubidium- pollucite, leucite, and zinnwaldite or as the chloride salt in brines rich in potassium Cesium- lepidolite, pollucte Francium-never isilated from nature but Francium 227 does naturally occur and has a half life of 22 minutes Los Almos, 2010

6. References About.com, “Alkali Metals” New York Times Corp., viewed November 2, 2010 Wikipedia, “Alkali Metals”, Wikipedia Corp. viewed November 2, 2010 Los Almos Labs, “Alkali Metals”, Los Almos National Labs,viewed November 2, 2010