Question

Do alkali metals react with water ?

Answer 1

Reactivity of Alkali Metals with Water:

1. Alkali metals are highly reactive when compared to remaining metals because they have only a single electron in their outermost shell and can easily lose it due to their large size and less nuclear attraction force.
2. They react vigorously with Water and are exothermic which produces respective metals hydroxide $\left(\mathrm{MOH}\right)$ along with Hydrogen gas ${\mathrm{H}}_2$.
3. $2\mathrm{M}+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to 2\mathrm{MOH}+{\mathrm{H}}_2+\mathrm{Heat}$

Ex: $$\begin{gathered} 2\mathrm{Li}+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to 2\mathrm{LiOH}+{\mathrm{H}}_2+\mathrm{Heat} \\ \mathrm{Lithium}\mathrm{Lithium}\mathrm{Hydroxide} \end{gathered}$$

$$\begin{gathered} 2\mathrm{Na}+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to 2\mathrm{NaOH}+{\mathrm{H}}_2+\mathrm{Heat} \\ \mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{Sodium}\mathrm{hydroxide} \end{gathered}$$

$$\begin{gathered} 2\mathrm{K}+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to 2\mathrm{KOH}+{\mathrm{H}}_2+\mathrm{Heat} \\ \mathrm{Potassium}\mathrm{Potassium}\mathrm{Hydroxide} \end{gathered}$$