Periodic Table and alkali metals
The resources in this list cover the periodic table and alkali metals.
At GCSE, students need to understand how the properties and reactions of an element can be predicted by its position in the periodic table. The alkali metals are a particularly interesting group for students with some great reactions with water that make great demonstrations. There are some resources below that demonstrate some of the more violent reactions that can not be done in the classroom.
Whilst this list provides a source of information and ideas for experimental work, it is important to note that recommendations can date very quickly. Do NOT follow suggestions which conflict with current advice from CLEAPSS, SSERC or other recent safety guides. eLibrary users are responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is consistent with current regulations related to Health and Safety and that they carry an appropriate risk assessment. Further information is provided in our Health and Safety guidance
I Am a Star *suitable for home teaching*
This is a fun activity in which students can input their mass and calculate their composition in terms of elements created in the big bang. There is also information about what these elements do and students can work out how much all the elements in their bodies are worth.
Discovering new elements *suitable for home teaching*
Students often ask "How many elements are there?" . This article on the discovery of new elements provides a partial answer to the question and is taken from the February 2016 edition of Catalyst.
Dimitri Mendeleev and the periodic pattern *suitable for home teaching*
This is a good article about Mendeleev and how he created the modern periodic table. This would be a good resource to contextualise the work about the development of the periodic table.
The Periodic Table: Ferocious Elements *suitable for home teaching*
This is a good video that explores reactivity of the elements and how this affects what we use them for. Initially the unreactive nature of gold and silver is discussed and compared with the reactive alkali metals and then the reactivity of halogens is looked at.
Alkali Metals *suitable for home teaching*
A good video presented by Dara O'Briain about the reactions of alkali metals in water.
Tales From the Prep Room: Alkali Metals
A really fun and relatable video showing the reactivity of the alkali metals in a quirky way.
Lithium
One of a series of videos about the alkali metals which looks at a particular feature of each element. In this case, an unusual feature of the nucleus of lithium is explored.
Sodium
One of a series of videos about the alkali metals which looks at a particular feature of each element. In this case, one researcher talks about why sodium is his favourite element.
Potassium
One of a series of videos about the alkali metals which looks at a particular feature of each element. In this case, the explosive nature of potassium is explored.
Caesium
One of a series of videos about the alkali metals which looks at a particular feature of each element. In this case, one researcher talks about how he used a caesium clock to prove that time is different depending on how fast you are traveling.
Demonstrating Chemistry: Exciting Elements
This video is a "how to do it" video for many of the reactions of alkali metals and halogens that are featured in other resources in these two lists. The video was produced for Teachers' TV with input from the RSC, CLEAPSS and the University of Leicester and gives suggested approaches for demonstrating these reactions.
Periodic Table and Alkali Metals *suitable for home teaching*
A series of 13 short and fun videos that look at all aspects of alkali metals including reactions, electronic structure, alloys and appearance. There are demonstrations of some more unusual reactions that are well worth watching.