Question

All of the alkali metals, Group 1, have one valence electron. Which of these would represent the oxidation number of the alkali metals such as lithium and sodium? A) -7 B) -1 C) +1 D) +7

Answer 1

c

Step-by-step explanation:

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Answer 2

The elements found in the Group 1, or the Alkali Metal Group, have electronic configurations that end in
`s^(1)`.This means that they have 1 electron readily available to release in order to achieve a stable state.

When these atoms release the valence electron, they will achieve a stable state. For example, Lithium's stable state will be
`Li^(+)` and Sodium will be
`Na^(+)`.

The oxidation state will then be +1.

The answer is C.