Rubidium is sometimes used for the treatment of depression, while cesium is mainly used in the manufacture of certain kinds of glass and radiation detection equipment.
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The next three alkali metals, rubidium, cesium and francium are much less common. KOH, potassium hydroxide is used for detergents,KClO3 potassium chlorate is needed in the manufacture of explosives while KBr, potassium bromide is essential in the photography industry. Meanwhile most of the potassium is used as a fertilizer. NaOH, sodium hydroxide is one of the top ten industrial chemicals, while sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, NaHCO3, is invaluable in the food industry. Sodium carbonate is used in power companies to absorb sulfur dioxide which is a serious pollutant. Sodium sulfate is also used in the manufacture of cardboard and brown paper. The pulp and paper industry uses the hydroxide, carbonate and sulfates of sodium. Sodium nitrite is used extensively in the manufacture of gunpowder. Besides the fact that sodium chloride is found abundantly on the earth, we also find sodium carbonate, sodium nitrate(saltpetre), and sodium sulfate. Once we see the properties and reactions of alkali metals it is easy to see what are the salts of alkali metals available on the earth’s crust. (Ref.1) The alkali metals as hydroxides can easily react with nitric/nitrous and sulfuric acids to form the nitrates/nitrites and sulfates respectively. (Ref.4) In addition, the oxides of sodium and potassium react with carbon dioxide to form the various carbonates.
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(Ref.1) No wonder sodium and potassium chlorides are found abundantly in nature. The alkali metals react very easily with halogens to form the various halides. This particular video uses the same number of atoms of each alkali metal to react with the same amount of water each time and you will clearly see that the rate and intensity of the reaction increases significantly as you go down the group making cesium one of the most violent reactions to observe. This reaction is well documented in several videos to illustrate the increase in the rate of reaction as well as the increase in the intensity of the exothermic reaction as you go down this group of alkali metals. Another important reaction is with water, when it vigorously reacts with it to form the hydroxides or alkalis, (which is responsible for its name) along with the release of hydrogen gas. They react very readily with oxygen when exposed to the air/oxygen to form oxides. In addition, their densities are lower than most metals and they have low boiling and melting points. However, they are softer and silvery-white in color except for cesium which is yellow. They have low ionization energy, i.e., the energy required to remove the outermost ‘s’ electron is not high. The alkali metals have a lot of properties similar to other traditional metals(copper, iron) like high conductivity, form cations easily, and are malleable and ductile. Meanwhile, Fr was found in trace amounts and very little is known about its behavior. Later, Robert Bunsen, who invented the Bunsen burner, discovered Rb and Cs in 1860. Sir Humphrey Davy discovered Na and K in the early 19th century, while Li was discovered ten years later by a Swedish chemist. Since the alkali metals are so reactive, it is never found in the elemental form in nature. There are six alkali metals: lithium,Li, sodium,Na, potassium,K, rubidium,Rb, cesium,Cs and francium,Fr. They all have one lone electron in the ‘s’ orbital which makes them metals since they are willing to give it up to be a cation and have the outermost electronic structure of the closest neighbor, the inert noble gases. Potassium, like sodium, lithium, are part of Group 1A in the Periodic Table and are called alkali metals.
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A baked potato is high in potassium, an essential element needed in our bodies. But I do remember the National Geographic feature on the merits of a potato and then I realized its significance as a great source of vitamins and minerals. Of course, my mother made them often and I enjoyed eating potatoes especially when fried. Growing up, I was under the impression that potatoes were not good for you.