* Silvery-white: All alkali metals have a silvery-white luster when freshly cut. This is due to their highly reflective surfaces.
* Soft: They are very soft, easily cut with a knife, and can be molded with your hands (except for lithium which is slightly harder).
* Reactive: They are highly reactive with air and water, so they are usually stored under oil or kerosene to prevent oxidation. This reactivity increases as you go down the group.
* Low Density: Alkali metals have very low densities, meaning they are lighter than water. Lithium is the lightest metal.
* Melting and boiling points: They have relatively low melting and boiling points compared to other metals.
Here is a summary of the appearance of individual group 1 metals:
* Lithium (Li): Silvery-white, slightly harder than other alkali metals.
* Sodium (Na): Silvery-white, very soft, reacts rapidly with air and water.
* Potassium (K): Silvery-white, soft, very reactive, can ignite spontaneously in air.
* Rubidium (Rb): Silvery-white, soft, highly reactive, melts slightly above room temperature.
* Cesium (Cs): Golden-yellow, soft, extremely reactive, melts at just above room temperature.
* Francium (Fr): Radioactive and very rare, little is known about its appearance.
It is important to note that the appearance of alkali metals can change quickly due to their high reactivity.
