Why alkali metals react with water

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Alkali metals Updated Wednesday, 25th July Text version Now let's see another reaction of the alkali metals, the reaction with water. Let's try Caesium, our 5th alkali metal. Copyright information. Publication details Originally published : Monday, 23rd July Last updated on : Wednesday, 25th July Leave a comment.

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For comparison, the iPhone 6 records slow-motion video at a mere frames per second. As the researchers pored over their images of the action, they saw the metal form spikes just before the explosion. Those spikes helped solve the mystery. When the water hits the metal, it releases electrons.

After the electrons flee, positively charged atoms remain behind. Like charges repel. So those positive atoms push away from each other, creating the spikes. That process exposes new electrons to the water. These are from atoms inside the metal. The escape of these electrons from the atoms leaves behind more positively charged atoms. And they form more spikes. The reaction continues, spikes forming upon spikes. This cascade eventually builds up enough heat to ignite the hydrogen before the steam can quash the explosion.

When sodium is added to water, the sodium melts to form a ball that moves around on the surface. It fizzes rapidly, and the hydrogen produced may burn with an orange flame before the sodium disappears.

When potassium is added to water, the metal melts and floats. It moves around very quickly on the surface of the water.