Group 1 elements react with moist air. They are stored in oil to stop air and water vapour coming into contact with them. Moist air reacts with potassium to form potassium oxide. This creates a layer ...

Hydrogen gas is also produced. With very reactive metals such as potassium, the energy of the reaction causes the hydrogen to burn as the reaction takes place.

Alkali metals can react explosively with water and it is textbook knowledge that this vigorous behaviour results from heat release, steam formation and ignition of the hydrogen gas that is produced.

When a small piece of sodium is placed in a petri dish with water and phenolphthalein, the sodium becomes a molten ball and darts around the dish, leaving a pink trail. The reactions of potassium, ...

When a chunk of alkali metal gets tossed into water, it explodes. But when a team of scientists gently placed a liquid drop of a sodium-potassium alloy on top of a water surface, they observed a ...

The news broke that a railroad car, loaded with pure sodium, had just derailed and was spilling its contents. A television reporter called me for an explanation of why firefighters were not allowed to ...

An alkali is derived from the Arabic word 'qali' means ' from the ashes'. As ashes are mixed with water used for cleaning products and are made of alkali materials. It is a basic hydroxide or ionic ...

If you can’t turn water into gold like a good alchemist would, the next best thing might be to transform water itself into a shiny, metallic material. Researchers have achieved that feat by forming a ...