Alkaline metals react violently with water to form hydroxides and hydrogen gas. The reaction is highly exothermic, meaning that it releases a lot of heat. The hydrogen gas produced can be explosive, so it is important to take safety precautions when working with alkaline metals.

The general reaction for the reaction of an alkaline metal with water is:

$$2M(s) + 2H_2O_{(l)} \rightarrow 2MOH_{(aq)} + H_{2(g)}$$

Where M represents the alkaline metal.

For example, when sodium metal is dissolved in water, the following reaction occurs:

$$2Na{(s)}+ 2H_2O{(l)} \rightarrow 2NaOH_{(aq)} + H_{2(g)}$$

This reaction produces sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen gas (H2). The hydrogen gas can be collected and used as a fuel or for other purposes.