Chemistry of Group One Metals

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Alkali Metals- Group 1 (IA) The alkali metals make up Group 1 of the periodic table. This family consists of the elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, and Fr, respectively). Group one elements share common characteristics. They are all soft, silver metals. Due to their low ionization energy, these metals have low melting points and are highly reactive. The reactivity of this family increases as you move down the table. Alkali metals are noted for how vigorously they react with water. Due to this, they are often stored in mineral oil and are not found in their elemental forms in nature. These characteristics can be explained by examining the electronic structure of each element in this group. Alkali metals have one valence electron. They readily give up this electron to assume the noble gas configuration as a cation. This makes the elements in this group highly reactive. History Explore the discoverer's biography, including general facts about his life and anecdotes regarding how he made this particular discovery. Also see other significant scientific discoveries built largely on this concept and other real-world applications in history that may not still be relevant. Discoverer/Developer See each tab for individual information about the discoverer of each element. Lithium Lithium was discovered in 1817 by Johan August Arfwedson. Arfwedson was born in 1792 to a wealthy family in Sweden. At a young age he attended the University of Uppsala and earned degrees in law and mineralogy. His interest in minerals is what led to his discovery of lithium. In 1817 Johan was analyzing the mineral petalite when he discovered lithium. Although he did not discover the elemental, isolated form of lithium, he is still credited with the discovery. Johan Arfwedson passed away in 1841 at his estate in

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