Group 1, Group 0 and transition metals – reactivity and trends

What it shows

Group 1 metals react with water to form a metal hydroxide and hydrogen, 2M + 2H₂O → 2MOH + H₂, and react faster down the group because the single outer electron is further from the nucleus and more shielded, so it is lost more easily. The simulation shows the observations for lithium, sodium and potassium, asks students to predict rubidium and cesium, and burns each metal in oxygen and chlorine. A Group 0 screen links full outer shells to unreactivity and shows boiling points rising down the group, and a comparison screen sets the transition metals beside Group 1.

How to use

Choose a tab at the top. On Group 1 + water, pick a Metal and a Mass, press Drop into water and watch; each result fills a row of the table. For rubidium and cesium, make a prediction first. On Group 1 burning, choose the Gas and press Burn in the gas jar. On Group 0, choose a noble gas or click its bar, and tick Hide radon's boiling point to predict it. On the last tab, choose a Property to compare.

Parameters you can change

• Screen Group 1 + water, Group 1 burning, Group 0 (noble gases), vs transition metals
• Metal Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Cesium (Cs)
• Mass of metal 10–100 mg
• Gas for burning Oxygen (O₂), Chlorine (Cl₂)
• Noble gas Helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), Radon (Rn)
• Hide radon's boiling point (predict it)
• Property compared Melting point (°C), Density (g/cm³), Hardness (Mohs scale), Reaction with cold water, Color of ions in water, Ion charges

Questions to explore

1. Why does potassium react more vigorously with water than lithium, in terms of its electrons?
2. Which Group 1 metals float on water, and how do their densities explain it?
3. Why are the noble gases unreactive, and why do their boiling points increase down the group?