what family of elements reacts violently with water?
Group 2 elements, the Alkaline earth metals, become a +2 ion, and combine to make (OH)2 metal hydroxides. Any element in the first column (Group 1) of the periodic table will react violently with water. They get more explosive as you go down the column, so that means lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium will be more reactive, in that order. The elements in the second column (Group2) react less violently with water. And like the Group 1 elements, their reactivity increases as we go down the column. <br /><br />When added to water the Group 1 elements, the Alkali metals, becomes a +1 ion, and the water forms OH- (creating the metal hydroxide) and H2 gas.