Question

Is Lithium an alkali metal?

Answer 1

• Group 1 elements are called alkali metals because their oxides and hydroxides form alkaline solutions on treatment with water.
• The six alkali elements are as- Lithium$\left(\mathrm{Li}\right)$, Sodium$\left(\mathrm{Na}\right)$, Potassium$\left(\mathrm{K}\right)$, Rubidium$\left(\mathrm{Rb}\right)$, Cesium$\left(\mathrm{Cs}\right)$, Francium$\left(\mathrm{Fr}\right)$.
• The outermost electronic configuration of alkali metal is ${\mathrm{ns}}^1$,
• The alkali element is also called the s-block element because the last electron enters in $\mathrm{s}-$orbital.
• Lithium has an atomic number $3$ and its electronic configuration is $1{\mathrm{s}}^{2}2{\mathrm{s}}^1$. So, it is an alkali metal.

Hence, Lithium is an alkali metal.