alkali metal
nounDefinition of alkali metal
: any of the monovalent mostly basic metals of group I of the periodic table comprising lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium — see Periodic Table
Examples of alkali metal in a Sentence
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The first group, known as the alkali metals, has just one such electron, easy to lose when reacting with an element that has more electrons, such as one from the 17th group, the halogens. — Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, "Everything Worth Knowing About The Periodic Table," 26 June 2019 The brine water that has been accumulating for millennia under the Atacama is lithium-rich, and companies pump it out and send the brine to evaporation ponds where heat extracts the water and leaves the reactive alkali metal behind. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Lithium giants feud over competition, brine in Chile’s Atacama Desert," 21 Oct. 2018 The calibration is done with the alkali metal cesium. — Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, "The Centuries-Long Quest to Measure One Second," 24 Mar. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'alkali metal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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