Why are the alkali and alkaline earth metals more reactive than other elements on the periodic table?
Those outside electrons are easily removed. For the lower elements (Li for example), that outside electron "sees" only +1 charge to remove it and as one proceeds down the column, the outside electron is farther and farther away and they are even more easily removed.
The alkali metals and alkaline earth metals are more reactive than other elements on the periodic table due to their electronic configurations and the ease with which they can lose electrons.
To understand why these metals are more reactive, we need to look at their electronic configurations. The alkali metals (Group 1 elements) have one valence electron, while the alkaline earth metals (Group 2 elements) have two valence electrons. Valence electrons are the outermost electrons in an atom and play a significant role in chemical reactions.
Both alkali and alkaline earth metals have a strong tendency to lose these valence electrons because doing so allows them to achieve a stable electronic configuration - a complete outermost energy level. By losing the valence electrons, these metals attain a full outermost energy level, similar to the noble gases, which are the most stable elements on the periodic table.
As a result of this high reactivity, alkali and alkaline earth metals readily react with other elements to form compounds. The compounds formed are often ionic in nature, meaning they are made up of positively charged metal ions and negatively charged non-metal ions.
The reactivity of these metals increases as we move down the group. This trend can be explained by the increasing distance between the valence electrons and the positively charged nucleus as we move down the group. The increased distance weakens the attraction between the valence electrons and the nucleus, making it easier for the metals to lose electrons and react with other elements.
In summary, the alkali and alkaline earth metals are more reactive than other elements due to their tendency to lose valence electrons, which allows them to achieve a stable electronic configuration. This high reactivity is a result of the ease with which these metals can lose electrons and form compounds with other elements.