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Alkali Metals The Alkali metals are the elements in Group 1 of the Periodic Table of the elements. In order of increasing atomic number, moving down the group, they are lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). Sodium and potassium are the sixth and seventh most abundant of the elements, comprising respectively 2.6 and 2.4 percent of the Earth's crust. The other alkali metals are considerably more rare, with rubidium, lithium, and cesium respectively forming 0.03, 0.007, and 0.0007 percent of the Earth's crust. Francium, a natural radioactive isotope, is very rare and was not discovered until 1939. Due to their high reactivity, the alkali metals are never found as free metals in their natural state. They generally are found combined with other elements in the form of compounds. The simpler compounds of the alkali metals are soluble in water and therefore are easily extracted. Minerals...

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