  the alkali metals are a group (column) in the periodic table consisting of the chemical elements lithium (li), sodium (na),the symbol na for sodium is derived from its latin name, natrium; this is still the name for the element in some languages, such as german and russian. in early english texts, the symbol so for the english name sodium is sometimes seen; this is wholly obsolete. potassium (k),the symbol k for potassium is derived from its latin name, kalium; this is still the name for the element in some languages, such as german and russian. in early english texts, the symbol po for the english name potassium is sometimes seen; this is wholly obsolete, and presently would collide with the symbol for polonium (also po). rubidium (rb), caesium (cs), and francium (fr).. this group lies in the s-block of the periodic table as all alkali metals have their outermost electron in an s-orbital: this electron configuration results in their characteristic properties. the alkali metals provide the best example of group trends in properties in the periodic table, with elements exhibiting well-characterized homologous behaviour. the alkali met
Alkali_metals Groups_in_the_periodic_table Periodic_table