The Alkali Metals

The first group of elements in the periodic table are the alkali metals. The elements in this group are lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). All of these elements have one valence electron in their outermost orbital, and they all tend to lose that electron when they form compounds. As a result, these elements are all highly reactive, and they are never found in nature in their elemental form. Instead, they are always found combined with other elements. The elements in group 1 all have very similar properties. They are all soft, silvery-white metals that are highly reactive. When they react, they form compounds with other elements in which they share their one valence electron. This gives them the ability to conduct electricity and heat, which makes them useful in a variety of applications.

(This is similar to another post but is written differently to the other post, this post is written by Lydia and the other by Zak)