Reaction of alkali metals with water

JaneFairfax · 2008-09-02 04:29:26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSZ-3wScePM

Lithium just fizzes in water, sodium reacts more vigorously, while potassium gives off sparks. When we come to rubidium, there is a mild explosion. Watch out for that caesium reaction

bobbym · 2009-04-14 02:23:57

Hi Jane;

All of them react with water like this typical reaction for Sodium:

2 Na + 2H20 -> H2 + 2 NaOH

They form a strong base( NaOH - Sodium Hydroxide or lye) and release hydrogen gas. Magnesium which is not quite as active will still slowly release hydrogen if it is immersed in hot water. Thanks for finding this video because I had never seen Rubidium or Cesium when I was in class.

bobbym

JaneFairfax · 2009-04-14 03:00:56

Thanks Bobby.

Rubidium and caesium are probably too dangerous to be used in classroom experiments.

John E. Franklin · 2009-04-14 08:51:11

Also I noticed today you can remember the atomic mass of lithium,
simply by remembering the word "pink". Then number the A..Z from
1 to 26, and just look at the "one's" digit when converting "pink" to
p --> 16 --> 6
i --> 9 --> 9
n --> 14 --> 4
k --> 11 --> 1
So lithium's atomic mass is 6.941 amu's.
Yeah!

bobbym · 2009-04-14 11:11:38

Hi John;

I hope that is just a coincidence! I couldn't deal with it otherwise.

bobbym

Last edited by bobbym (2009-04-14 11:12:27)

Tigeree · 2009-04-14 14:19:31

Francium... Mwahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!

Ricky · 2009-04-14 15:00:23

At the very last second of the video, you can hear someone whistle.

Tigeree · 2009-04-15 15:38:47

Thanks, Ricky! Quite believably that's the most unrelated thing I've ever heard you say! Not that it's not related I was just expecting your first post on this thread to be more... Advanced, lets say, possibly a formula like the others. But of course if I was expecting to much of you ... that is fine as well.

And Again...

Tigeree wrote:

Francium... Mwahahahahahahahahah!!!!!!

In water of course!

JaneFairfax · 2009-04-15 21:35:24

Ricky wrote:

At the very last second of the video, you can hear someone whistle.

Tigeree · 2009-04-16 13:40:19

Good one, Jane! You always have great smilies! Shame it doesn't actually produce sound, that would be kool! You could record yourself whistling on your computer to make the sound appear- not a good word for this type of thing but anyway- when ever you post that smiley. That would be pretty kool, I guess.

bobbym · 2009-04-16 21:54:48

Hi;

It is apparent to me that Jane needs bigger smilies or I need bigger eyes, I totally missed that little guy.

bobbym

JaneFairfax · 2009-04-17 01:46:05

So, whats below francium in Group 1 of the periodic table? Would it be ununennium (element № 119)?

Tigeree · 2009-04-17 13:06:57

Possibly. Does it react to water? More vigorously than that of francium?

Bobbym;

The smiley looks perfectly fine to me! Maybe it's just your computer?

Ricky, for when you post again;

I'm sorry about my post denying you and your intelligence, I discovered that Chemistry is not your strongest point, Math, on the other hand is one of your more stronger points in life and I regret the post.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
I wouldn't want it to come between us.

Last edited by Tigeree (2009-04-17 13:07:30)

bobbym · 2009-04-17 17:21:24

Hi Tigeree;

I was being funny, it looks fine here too.

bobbym

Tigeree · 2009-04-18 13:40:14

Yeah, I hear ya!

JaneFairfax · 2009-05-16 22:44:30

Here is another video:

[align=center]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI-ZkPZ8JpI[/align]

Notice that rubidium ripped a hole in the bathtub, while caesium completely blew it into pieces.

Last edited by JaneFairfax (2009-05-16 22:48:26)

bobbym · 2009-05-17 02:58:46

Hi Jane;

See that you are in an explosive mood. This little vid while not containing much pyrotechnics does give some information on how chemists use the periodic chart. Nice to see some things haven't changed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyFLvSg6ZDw&feature=related

quittyqat · 2009-05-17 05:10:47

Wow!

John E. Franklin · 2009-05-19 08:29:13

Neat video, did you notice the Li 6.941 (PINK, as I mentioned earlier) sign the girl was holding
near the start of the video?

simron · 2009-05-19 11:41:10

bobbym wrote:

Hi Jane;
See that you are in an explosive mood. This little vid while not containing much pyrotechnics does give some information on how chemists use the periodic chart. Nice to see some things haven't changed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyFLvSg6ZDw&feature=related

Actually, they faked that with a depth charge... they came out and said it on YouTube.

Laterally Speaking · 2009-05-19 14:25:43

My uncle (a high school physics and chemistry teacher) did the following with his senior class:

"Now, I know that all of you are going to want to try to steal some of this sodium so you can have fun with it on your own. Let me show you a few things you don't want to do with it. First, you don't want the piece of sodium to be very large. [cuts off chunk the size of a grapefruit] You also don't want it to be entirely submerged rapidly. [attaches lead weights to piece of sodium] You don't want the water to be at all acidic, either. [pours a quart of citric acid into tub of water]."

He then took the class outside, and held the sodium at the end of a 40-foot pole above the water. He lets go of the rope holding it there. It falls into the water. The class watches as a 20-foot high mushroom-shaped cloud of water and smoke rises from the small hole where the tub had just been.

bobbym · 2009-05-19 16:08:15

The size of a grapefruit! I have never seen that much.

Laterally Speaking · 2009-05-19 18:41:22

I know... I'm so sad I don't go to the school he teaches at...

Ninja 101 · 2009-05-20 05:51:30

Actually, no-one has actually isolated Francium. It's a sort of theoretical element. Its existence is only proved on paper. The reason is that its most stable isotope, francium-223, has a half-life of only 22 minutes. There are many more isotopes with much shorter half-lifes. Also, the largest amount ever collected was a cluster of around 10000 atoms, amongst Uranuim and Barium isotopes.

Last edited by Ninja 101 (2009-05-20 05:54:31)

bobbym · 2009-05-20 09:07:15

Actually one of the videos makes it sound like someone is sitting on large quantities of francium. It's more radioactive than Plutonium so large quantities are out of the question.

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2008-09-02 04:29:26

Reaction of alkali metals with water

#2 2009-04-14 02:23:57

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#3 2009-04-14 03:00:56

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#4 2009-04-14 08:51:11

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#5 2009-04-14 11:11:38

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#6 2009-04-14 14:19:31

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#7 2009-04-14 15:00:23

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#8 2009-04-15 15:38:47

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#9 2009-04-15 21:35:24

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#10 2009-04-16 13:40:19

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#11 2009-04-16 21:54:48

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#12 2009-04-17 01:46:05

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#13 2009-04-17 13:06:57

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#14 2009-04-17 17:21:24

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#15 2009-04-18 13:40:14

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#16 2009-05-16 22:44:30

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#17 2009-05-17 02:58:46

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#18 2009-05-17 05:10:47

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#19 2009-05-19 08:29:13

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#20 2009-05-19 11:41:10

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#21 2009-05-19 14:25:43

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#22 2009-05-19 16:08:15

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#23 2009-05-19 18:41:22

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#24 2009-05-20 05:51:30

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

#25 2009-05-20 09:07:15

Re: Reaction of alkali metals with water

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