Question

“Alkali metals are good oxidizing agents”
Answer whether the given statement is true or false. If true enter 1, else enter 0.

Answer 1

Hint: Alkali metals are generally s-block elements i.e. whose last electron is present in the s shell. Alkali metals consist of the chemical elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium and francium. Along with hydrogen these are the members of group 1.

Complete Solution :
- Alkali metals are known by the name lithium family as lithium is the first member of alkali metals and these all are shiny, soft and highly reactive metal. To discuss whether the alkali metals are oxidizing agents or not we know about the concept of oxidizing agents. Oxidizing agent is a substance that causes oxidation by accepting electrons and oxidation state decreases while reducing agents cause reduction by losing electrons.
- By the definition we consider that alkali metals are strong reducing agents. This can be explained by the definition of reducing agent that it loses electrons. The atoms do not have a strong attraction for the single valence electron and as a result it is easily lost i.e. it has very small first ionisation energy and from a $+1$ ion. In this way they readily donate electrons and all of them are considered as better reducing agents as compared to hydrogen.
- Hence we can say that the option is false then 0 is a representation for false statement.
So, the correct answer is “0”.

Note: Alkali metals are quite reactive in nature. Therefore we can also say that alkali metals react with compounds containing acidic hydrogen atoms such as alcohol and acetylene by liberating hydrogen and making themselves oxidized.