Family Album Element Entries

By: Ilyse Yanover, Jordan Yeck, Robert Trombley, and AJ Sipe!

Alkali Metals:

• Address: Group 1

• Family members: Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium, and Francium.

• Physical Characteristics: Shiny, malleable,

• Chemical Characteristics: Highly Reactive, give up one electron.

Background Information

Parent: Johan August Arfvedson

Birthplace: Sweden, 1817

Gender: Alkali Earth Metals

Physical Description

Symbol: Li

Neutrons: 4

Atomic Mass: 6.941

Melting Point: 181o C

Density: 0.535g/cm3

Protons: 3

Electrons: 3

Atomic Number: 3

Boiling Point: 1342˚C

Looks: silvery white metal

Chemical Description

Valence Electrons: 1

Ion: Li+1

Oxidation Number: +1

Reactivity:

Attributes

Positive: Out of any solid element, Lithium has the highest specific heat

Negative: Lithium is not used for structural applications

Compounds

LiCl – Lithium Chloride

LiF – Lithium Fluoride

LiH – Lithium Hydride

Lithium Sources

• http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=3503

• http://www.bipolar-lives.com/who-discovered-lithium.html 

• http://www.webelements.com/lithium/compounds.html

Sodium

Protons: 11

Electrons: 11

Neutrons: 12

Symbol: Na

Atomic Mass: 22.99 amu Atomic Number: 11 Melting Point: 97.72 °C Boiling Point: 883 °C Density: 0.971 g/cm3

Parents: Sir Humphrey Davy Birth Place: EnglandBirth Date: 1807Gender: Alkali Metal

Sodium• Positive Attributes: Metallic sodium is vital in

the manufacture of esters and in the preparation of organic compounds. The metal may also be used to improve the structure of certain alloys.

• Negative Attributes: Sodium is potentially explosive in water (depending on quantity) and is a caustic poison, since it is rapidly converted to Sodium Hydroxide on contact with moisture.

Compounds:

1.) Sodium Chloride – makes common table salt

2.) Soda Ash – is made up of sodium, carbon, and oxygen.

3.) Baking Soda – is made up of hydrogen, sodium, carbon, and oxygen.

Chemical Description:

Valence Electrons: One

Ion: Na+1

Oxidation Number: +1

Reactivity: Very Reactive

Sodium Sources

• http://www.webelements.com/sodium/

• http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/na.html

• http://www.webelements.com/sodium/

• http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/img/n101-sodium.jpg

Potassium

Background Information:

Parent: Sir Humphrey Davy

Birth Place: England

Birth Date: 1807

Gender: Alkali Metal

Description:

Symbol: K Protons: 19

Neutrons: 20 Electrons: 19

Atomic Mass: 39.0983 Atomic Number: 19

Melting Point: 63oC Boiling Point: 770oC

Density: 0.862g/cm3 Looks: Soft and Silvery

PotassiumChemical Description:

Valence Electrons: One

Ion: K+1

Oxidation Number: +1

Reactivity: Very Reactive

Compounds: 1. potassium bromide (Potassium and Bromine- camera

film)2. potassium hydroxide (Potassium, Oxygen, and

Hydrogen- paint remover) 3. potassium nitrate (Potassium, Nitrogen, and 3 parts

Oxygen- Explosives)

Attributes:

Positive: Helps balance fluids in cells, plants need it to grow, and has nutrients for both plants and humans

Negative: Can be used to make explosives

Potassium Sources

• http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/L-P/Potassium.html

• http://www.hse.k12.in.us/staff/tpetersen/Periodic%20Table%20Website%20Project/elements/2/potassium/potassium.htm

• http://www.easycalculation.com/chemistry/elements/potassium.html

Rubidium Rubidium was born in 1861 by Bunsen and Kirchoff in the mineral lepidolite by use of the

spectroscope.

Gender: Metal

Physical: 37 Protons, 37 Electrons, 48 Neutrons.

Density: 1.532 g/cm3 Boiling point: 688 C Melting point: 39.3 C Specific Heat: . 363J g-1 K-1 Heat of vaporization: 72.216 kJ mol-1

Chemical Description: 1 Valence electron, ion +1, oxidation number: 1, Very reactive.

Compounds: Halides, oxides, sulfides.

Positive Attributes: carries small amounts of nutrients to the bodies organs.

Negative Attributes: Women who are nursing or pregnant should, as a precaution, refrain from taking rubidium supplements unless having first talked with their physician.

Rubidium Sources

• http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/37.html

• http://www.rsc.org/chemsoc/visualelements/Pages/data/rubidium_data.html

CesiumParents: Gustav KirchhoffBirth Place: DurkheimBirth Date: 1860Gender: Alkali Metal

Protons: 55

Electrons: 55

Neutrons: 78

Symbol: Cs

Atomic Mass: 132.91 amuAtomic Number: 55 Melting Point: 28.5 °C Boiling Point: 678.4 °CDensity: 1.873 g/cm3

Cesium

• Positive Attributes: Can be used as a catalyst in the hydrogenation of certain organic compounds. Also removes air traces in vacuum tubes.

• Negative Attributes: Liquid at room temperature.

Chemical Description:

Valence Electrons: One

Ion: Cs+1

Oxidation Number: +1

Reactivity: Very Reactive

Compounds:

1.) Cesium Graphite – where the metal atoms position themselves between the planes of carbon atoms in the graphite crystal structure.

2.) Cesium Nitrate – is used as oxidizer to burn Silicon in infrared flares like the LUU-19 flare.

3.) Cesium Fluoride – is widely used in organic chemistry as a base.

Cesium Sources

• http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/55.html

• http://www.chemicalelements.com/elements/cs.html

• http://www.cs.rochester.edu/~nelson/cesium/cesium_compounds.html

Francium

Francium was born in 1939 by Mlle. Marguerite Perey of the Curie institute, Paris.

Gender: Metal

Physical Description: 87 Protons, 87 Elections, 136 Neutrons

Boiling point: 677 C, Melting point: 27 C

Chemical Description: 1 Valence electron, +1 ion, 1 oxidation number, Very reactive.

Because Francium is so rare its chemical and physical properties are not known.

Francium Sources

• http://www.facts-about.org.uk/science-element-francium.htm

• http://periodic.lanl.gov/elements/87.html