The reactivity series is a list that shows the order of reactivity of some common metals. Calcium (Ca) Reacts vigorously with strong heating. Brick red flame observed and white solid formed. 2Ca + O 2 ...

Lights, camera, kaboom! With snapshots from a high-speed camera, chemists can finally explain why sodium and other alkali metals blow up in water. “What we found out is that there’s a crucial piece of ...

The spectacular reaction of alkali metals with water was poorly understood — despite being a staple of chemistry classes. It’s the classic piece of chemical tomfoolery: take a lump of sodium or ...

When sodium and lithium metals meet liquid ammonia, the result is a dazzling deep blue solution that feels otherworldly. The ...

Superconductivity has been discovered in the materials that form when alkali metals react with a solid hydrocarbon. This is the first new class of organic, high-temperature superconductor in a decade.

When alkali metals like sodium dissolve in liquid ammonia, they produce a colorful spectacle that has puzzled and delighted chemists for centuries. The metals release electrons that give the solution ...

The news broke that a railroad car, loaded with pure sodium, had just derailed and was spilling its contents. A television reporter called me for an explanation of why firefighters were not allowed to ...