What happens when an alkali metal reacts with water? A metal chloride is formed. Enough energy is released to melt the metal. The metal rapidly turns from shiny to dull. The metal floats on the surface.

## Step 1:Alkali metals are a group of elements found in Group 1 of the periodic table, excluding Hydrogen. This group includes Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Caesium (Cs), and Francium (Fr).## Step 2:When alkali metals react with water, they produce an alkali solution (or alkali hydroxide solution) and hydrogen gas. The general reaction can be represented by the equation:### where represents an alkali metal.## Step 3:This reaction is highly exothermic, meaning it releases a significant amount of energy. The energy released is often enough to melt the metal, especially for heavier alkali metals like Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), and Caesium (Cs).## Step 4:In addition to the energy release, the hydrogen gas produced can ignite due to the heat of the reaction, causing a small explosion or flame.## Step 5:The alkali metal also rapidly turns from shiny to dull due to the formation of the metal hydroxide on its surface.## Step 6:Alkali metals are less dense than water, causing them to float on the surface during the reaction.#