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In chemistry, an alkali (/ ˈ æ l k ə l aɪ /; from the Arabic word al-qāly, القلوي) is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7.0.
Caustic potash/caustic wood alkali – potassium hydroxide, formed by adding lime to potash. Caustic Soda/caustic marine alkali – sodium hydroxide, NaOH, formed by adding lime to natron. Caustic volatile alkali – ammonium hydroxide. Corrosive sublimate – mercuric chloride, formed by subliming mercury, calcined green vitriol, common salt ...
These are not the only phosphides and arsenides of the alkali metals: for example, potassium has nine different known phosphides, with formulae K 3 P, K 4 P 3, K 5 P 4, KP, K 4 P 6, K 3 P 7, K 3 P 11, KP 10.3, and KP 15. [120] While most metals form arsenides, only the alkali and alkaline earth metals form mostly ionic arsenides.
The difference between a basic salt and an alkali is that an alkali is the soluble hydroxide compound of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. A basic salt is any salt that hydrolyzes to form a basic solution. Another definition of a basic salt would be a salt that contains amounts of both hydroxide and other anions. White lead is an ...
The heavier alkaline earth metals react more vigorously than the lighter ones. [2] The alkaline earth metals have the second-lowest first ionization energies in their respective periods of the periodic table [4] because of their somewhat low effective nuclear charges and the ability to attain a full outer shell configuration by losing just two ...
Common examples of strong bases include hydroxides of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, like NaOH and Ca(OH) 2, respectively. Due to their low solubility, some bases, such as alkaline earth hydroxides, can be used when the solubility factor is not taken into account. [8]
Lithium oxide (Li 2 O) is the lightest alkali metal oxide and a white solid. It melts at 1570 °C. Sodium oxide (Na 2 O) is a white solid that melts at 1132 °C and decomposes at 1950 °C. It is a component of glass. Potassium oxide (K 2 O) is a pale yellow solid that decomposes at 350 °C.
Cs > K > Na > Li > alkaline earth metals, i.e., alkali metals > alkaline earth metals, the same as the reverse order of the (gas-phase) ionization energies. This is borne out by the extraction of metallic lithium by the electrolysis of a eutectic mixture of lithium chloride and potassium chloride: lithium metal is formed at the cathode, not ...