Question 1
What are the common physical and chemical features of alkali metals?

Question 3
Why are alkali metals not found in nature?

Question 5
Explain why is sodium less reactive than potassium?

Question 7
In what ways lithium shows similarities to magnesium in its chemical behaviour?

Question 8
Explain why alkali and alkaline earth metals cannot be obtained by chemical reduction methods?

Question 9
Why are potassium and cesium, rather than lithium used in photoelectric cells?

Question 11
Beryllium and magnesium do not give colour to flame whereas other alkaline earth metals do so. Why?

Question 13
Potassium carbonate cannot be prepared by Solvay process. Why?

Question 14
Why is Li₂CO₃ decomposed at a lower temperature whereas Na₂CO₃ at higher temperature?

Question 16
Starting with sodium chloride how would you proceed to prepare
(i) sodium metal (ii) sodium hydroxide (iii) sodium peroxide (iv) sodium carbonate?

Question 17
What happens when
(i) magnesium is burnt in air
(ii) quick lime is heated with silica
(iii) chlorine reacts with slaked lime
(iv) calcium nitrate is heated ?

Question 18
Describe two important uses of each of the following: 

(i) caustic soda 

(ii) sodium carbonate 

(iii) quicklime.

Question 21
Describe the importance of the following: (i) limestone (ii) cement (iii) plaster of paris.

Question 22
Why are lithium salts commonly hydrated and those of the other alkali metal ions usually anhydrous?

Question 23
Why is LiF almost insoluble in water whereas LiCl soluble not only in water but also in acetone?

Question 25
What happens when
(i) sodium metal is dropped in water ?
(ii) sodium metal is heated in free supply of air ?
(iii) sodium peroxide dissolves in water ?

Question 26
Comment on each of the following observations:
(a) The mobilities of the alkali metal ions in aqueous solution are Li⁺ <  Na⁺ <  K⁺ <  Rb⁺ < Cs⁺
(b) Lithium is the only alkali metal to form a nitride directly.
(c) E° for M²⁺(aq) (where M = Ca, Sr or Ba) is nearly constant.

Question 27
State as to why
(a) a solution of Na₂CO₃ is alkaline ?
(b) alkali metals are prepared by electrolysis of their fused chlorides ?
(c) sodium is found to be more useful than potassium ?

Question 28
Write balanced equations for reactions between
(a) Na₂O₂and water
(b) KO₂ and water
(c) Na₂O and CO₂

Question 29
How would you explain the following observations?
(i) BeO is almost insoluble but BeSO₄ in soluble in water,
(ii) BaO is soluble but BaSO₄ is insoluble in water,
(iii) LiI is more soluble than KI in ethanol.

Question 30
Which of the alkali metal is having least melting point?
(a) Na (b) K (c) Rb (d) Cs

Question 31
Which one of the following alkali metals gives hydrated salts?
(a) Li (b) Na (c) K (d) Cs

Question 32
Which one of the alkaline earth metal carbonates is thermally the most stable?
(a) MgCO₃ (b) CaCO₃ (c) SrCO₃ (d) BaCO₃