Many metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides. Potassium and sodium are soft metal which are easily cut exposing a shiny surface which changes to dull rapidly. The change from shiny to dull is ...

It’s the classic piece of chemical tomfoolery: take a lump of sodium or potassium metal, toss it into water and watch the explosion. Although this piece of pyrotechnics has amazed generations of ...

In this video excerpt from NOVA's "Hunting the Elements," New York Times technology columnist David Pogue investigates chemical reactions involving sodium. Find out how the electron configuration of ...

When metals react with oxygen, metal oxides are formed. The speed of the reaction depends on the reactivity of the metal. Watch this video for a practical demonstration of reacting metals with oyxgen.

The spectacular reaction of alkali metals with water was poorly understood — despite being a staple of chemistry classes. It’s the classic piece of chemical tomfoolery: take a lump of sodium or ...