[time-nuts] alkali metals and water

Tony Finch dot at dotat.at
Wed Mar 2 16:14:58 UTC 2011


On Wed, 2 Mar 2011, Raj wrote:

> I have personally seen the explosion when a chunk of sodium was dropped
> into water. My senior who was the victim had to have his eyes washed out
> and such..

Sodium's reaction with water is more explosive than the other alkali
metals (except perhaps Potassium) because it is the hydrogen from the
reaction that causes the explosion. A given mass of sodium produces more
hydrogen than a given mass of caesium (lower molar weight -> more atoms)
and its lower reactivity means it produces a larger plume of hydrogen
before it gets hot enough to ignite it.

http://theodoregray.com/periodictable/AlkaliBangs/

Tony.
-- 
f.anthony.n.finch  <dot at dotat.at>  http://dotat.at/
South Utsire, Forties, Cromarty, Forth: Southerly, 5 or 6, occasionally 7,
veering southwesterly 4 or 5, then veering northerly 3 or 4 later. Slight or
moderate, occasionally rough in South Utsire, Forties and Cromarty. Rain for a
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