Group 1 of the Periodic Table

Group 1 of the periodic table (Alkali metals) has 7 elements: Hydrogen, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, Cesium and Francium. Elements in a group have a similar last electron shell; the outer-shell pattern of all of them is ns¹, so they show similar chemical properties. Moving down a group, the number of shells and the atomic radius usually increase.

Alkali metals

The alkali metals are the group 1 elements (excluding hydrogen): soft, shiny and highly reactive metals that react violently with water and are never found free in nature.

Element list

Atomic no.	Symbol	Name	Atomic mass	Phase	Short configuration
1	H	Hydrogen	1.008	Gas	1s¹
3	Li	Lithium	6.94	Solid	[He] 2s¹
11	Na	Sodium	22.99	Solid	[Ne] 3s¹
19	K	Potassium	39.098	Solid	[Ar] 4s¹
37	Rb	Rubidium	85.468	Solid	[Kr] 5s¹
55	Cs	Cesium	132.91	Solid	[Xe] 6s¹
87	Fr	Francium	223	Solid	[Rn] 7s¹

Frequently asked questions

What are the group 1 elements of the periodic table?

The group 1 elements are Hydrogen (H), Lithium (Li), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Rubidium (Rb), Cesium (Cs) and Francium (Fr).

How many elements are in group 1?

Group 1 of the periodic table has 7 elements (excluding the lanthanides and actinides).