Answer to Question #54598 in General Chemistry for ramesh kumar

Question

What are alkali metals? Why do these metals not occur in free state in nature? List the principal ores of alkali metals.

Answer 1

Alkali metals are:
- Lithium (Li);
- Sodium (Na);
- Potassium (K);
- Rubidium (Rb);
- Cesium (Cs);
- Francium (Fr).
All alkali metals have their outmost electron in the s-orbital. This pre-determines their high chemical reactivity. So that alkali metals cannot be find in the environment in the free state.
The principal ores of alkali metals are:
- Lithium (Li) - Petalite, lepidolite;
- Sodium (Na) – Sodium chloride, Borax;
- Potassium (K) – Sylime, Carnallite;
- Rubidium (Rb) - Lepidolite;
- Cesium (Cs) - Pollucite;
- Francium (Fr) – trace element in the Uranium and Thorium ores.