Brainiac: Science Abuse is a wonderful British TV show that is a cross between Bill Nye and Mythbusters. The following video clip from the show demonstrates what happens to the alkali metals (lithium, sodium, potassium, etc.) when placed in water. The metals react with the water to produce hydrogen gas which is quite flammable and explosive. It demonstrates the similar properties of elements in the same group in the periodic table, which in this case is because each element has one valence electron (valence electrons are electrons in the outermost energy level).
0 Responses to “Alkali Metals in Water”