Pearson Edexcel International GCSE (9–1) · CHEMISTRY · Chapter
The Alkali Metals
85 practice questions
Topics covered
Practice questions
11–14 of 14 · Hard
Question 11
5 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →Francium is a Group 1 alkali metal that has never been seen directly. Chemists use trends to predict its properties.
(a)[1 mark]State the expected physical appearance of francium when freshly cut.
(b)[2 marks]Explain why francium would be stored under oil if it could be collected in the laboratory.
(c)[2 marks]Describe and explain what you would expect to happen if francium was dropped into water.
Question 12
2 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →Predict whether francium would form coloured or colourless compounds in water, and explain your answer.
Question 13
7 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →This question is about the reactions of rubidium and caesium with water and the reactions of Group 1 metals with air.
(a)[3 marks]Describe what you would observe when a small piece of caesium is added to water. Explain your answer in terms of the position of caesium in Group 1.
(b)[2 marks]Sodium reacts with oxygen in the air to form a white solid of sodium oxide. Write a balanced chemical equation for this reaction, including state symbols.
(c)[2 marks]Caesium oxide is also a white solid. Predict its formula and give a reason for your answer.
Question 14
4 marks · Hard
Answer and see the solution →A student investigates Group 1 (alkali) metals and their compounds.
(a)Rubidium and caesium are placed below potassium in Group 1 of the Periodic Table. Predict and explain how the reaction of caesium with water is expected to be different from lithium, sodium, and potassium.
(b)[2 marks]The student has solid samples of lithium, sodium, and potassium. She cuts a fresh surface and leaves each in air. State what she would observe for each metal after a few minutes. Explain the reason for any differences in what she sees.
(c)[2 marks]Group 1 metal ions form colourless compounds unless the other ion is coloured. The student prepares potassium sulfate crystals and notices that the crystals are white and dissolve easily in water. Give two reasons, based on the properties of Group 1 metal compounds, to explain these observations.