Can you explain the answer of this question below:Alkali metals reacts...
(a) Both melting point and heat of reaction of alkali metals with water decrease down the group from Li to Cs. Although the heat of reaction of Li is the highest, but due to its high melting point, even this heat is not sufficient to melt the metal, which exposes greater surface to water for reaction. As a result, Li has the least reactivity but the reactivity increases as the melting point of alkali metals decreases down the group from Li to Cs.
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Can you explain the answer of this question below:Alkali metals reacts...
Alkali metals react with water vigorously to form hydroxides and dihydrogen gas. The reactivity of alkali metals increases as we move down the group, i.e., from lithium to cesium. Therefore, the least reactive alkali metal with water is lithium.
Explanation:
When alkali metals react with water, they form metal hydroxides and hydrogen gas. The reaction is highly exothermic and releases a large amount of heat. The reactivity of alkali metals depends on their electronic configuration and atomic size. The larger the size of the atom, the more easily it loses an electron, making it more reactive.
Lithium is the smallest alkali metal with a 1s2 2s1 electronic configuration. Due to its small size, it has a strong attraction for its valence electron and hence requires more energy to lose it. Therefore, it reacts less vigorously with water compared to other alkali metals.
On the other hand, cesium is the largest alkali metal with a 6s1 electronic configuration. Due to its larger size, it has a weaker attraction for its valence electron and hence requires less energy to lose it. Therefore, it reacts most vigorously with water compared to other alkali metals.
Hence, the correct answer is option A, i.e., Lithium is the least reactive alkali metal with water.
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