plumiGroup 1 (alkali metals) – lithium, sodium and potassium: Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry questions
Every Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry exam question on Group 1 (alkali metals) – lithium, sodium and potassium (specification points 2.1–2.4), 2019–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.
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Q2(a)
The whole paper ↗Q2(b)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q2(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(b)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(b)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q6(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q6(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q1(b)
The whole paper ↗Q4(a)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q4(c)(ii)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)(i)
The whole paper ↗Q5(a)(ii)
The whole paper ↗
All 50 questions on Group 1 (alkali metals) – lithium, sodium and potassium, as a list
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q2(a) (2 marks): State two observations made when lithium reacts with water. (2) 1 2
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q2(b) (1 mark): What are the products of the reaction? (1) A lithium hydroxide and hydrogen B lithium hydroxide and oxygen C lithium oxide and hydrogen D lithium oxide and oxyg
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q2(c)(i) (3 marks): Explain the colour and pH of the solution in the trough. (3)
- June 2025, Paper 1, Q2(c)(ii) (1 mark): Give the formula of the ion responsible for this pH. (1)
- June 2025 (R), Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Complete the equation for the reaction between lithium and water by adding the state symbols. (2) 2Li( ) + 2H2O( ) → 2LiOH( ) + H2( )
- June 2025 (R), Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): Give two observations made when the lithium is added to the water. (2) 1 2
- June 2025 (R), Paper 2, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Give one observation that is different when a small piece of potassium, instead of lithium, is added to water. (1)
- June 2025 (R), Paper 2, Q4(b)(ii) (3 marks): Explain why potassium is more reactive than lithium. Refer to the electronic structure of lithium and of potassium in your answer. (3)
- November 2024, Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Give two observations when lithium is added to water. (2) 1 2
- November 2024, Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): The teacher adds a few drops of universal indicator to the solution at the end of the reaction. Explain the final colour of the universal indicator. (2)
- November 2024, Paper 2, Q4(c)(i) (1 mark): Give one observation seen with potassium that is not seen with lithium. (1)
- November 2024, Paper 2, Q4(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain why potassium is more reactive than lithium. Refer to atomic structure in your answer. (3)
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q6(a)(i) (2 marks): Give two observations that are made when sodium reacts with water. (2) 1 2
- June 2024, Paper 1, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): After the reaction has stopped, the teacher adds a few drops of phenolphthalein to the solution in the trough. Explain the colour of the phenolphthalein after i
- June 2024, Paper 2, Q1(b) (3 marks): Explain, in terms of electron configuration, why sodium is more reactive than lithium. (3)
- June 2024 (R), Paper 1, Q4(a) (2 marks): The sodium reacts with the water, forming bubbles of hydrogen gas and a colourless solution. State two other observations that would be made. (2) 1 2
- June 2024 (R), Paper 1, Q4(c)(i) (1 mark): State, with reference to the electronic configurations of atoms, why these elements have similar reactions. (1)
- June 2024 (R), Paper 1, Q4(c)(ii) (1 mark): The table shows the atomic radius of a lithium atom, a sodium atom and a potassium atom. Atom Atomic radius in cm 1.82 × 10−12 lithium 2.27 × 10−12 sodium potas
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Give two other observations when lithium reacts with water. (2) 1 2
- June 2023, Paper 1, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): A few drops of methyl orange are added to the solution in the trough. Explain the final colour of the solution. (2)
- June 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q6(b)(ii) (2 marks): Give two other observations that would be made. (2) 1 2
- June 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q6(c) (3 marks): Explain why lithium is less reactive than potassium. Refer to atomic structure in your answer. (3)
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q6(b)(iii) (2 marks): During the production of sodium, small explosions can be heard. Explain why using sodium chloride that is not completely dry could cause these small explosions.
- January 2023 (R), Paper 2, Q6(c) (3 marks): Explain why the reactivity of metals in Group 1 increases from lithium to potassium. (3)
- June 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q4(d)(i) (2 marks): Explain the final colour of the universal indicator. (2)
- June 2022 (R), Paper 1, Q4(d)(ii) (2 marks): The teacher repeats the experiment with potassium instead of sodium. Give one similarity and one difference observed with potassium. (2) similarity difference
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Give two other observations. (2) 1 2
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): Give the final colour of the universal indicator. (1)
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Give a reason why lithium and sodium have similar reactions with water. (1)
- January 2022, Paper 2, Q4(b)(ii) (3 marks): Explain why lithium is less reactive than sodium. (3)
- June 2021, Paper 1, Q6(a)(i) (3 marks): Give three observations that are made when lithium reacts with water. (3) 1 2 3
- June 2021, Paper 1, Q6(a)(ii) (2 marks): After the reaction has finished, the teacher adds a few drops of universal indicator to the solution in the trough. Explain the colour of the universal indicato
- June 2021, Paper 1, Q6(a)(iii) (2 marks): Write a chemical equation for the reaction of lithium with water. . (2)
- January 2021, Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (2 marks): Complete the chemical equation for the reaction of sodium with water. (2) _____Na( ) + ______H2O(l) → _____NaOH( ) + H2(g)
- January 2021, Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (1 mark): Identify the ion that causes the solution to become alkaline. (1)
- January 2021, Paper 2, Q4(a)(iii) (3 marks): Give three observations that would be made when sodium reacts with water. (3) 1 2 3
- January 2021, Paper 2, Q4(b) (3 marks): Explain why potassium is more reactive than sodium. Refer to the electronic configurations of the atoms in your answer. (3)
- January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q9(a) (1 mark): Suggest why these three elements are all stored in paraffin oil. (1)
- January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q9(b)(i) (2 marks): Give a similarity and a difference between the reactions of potassium with water and caesium with water. (2) similarity difference
- January 2021 (R), Paper 1, Q9(b)(ii) (2 marks): Give the chemical equation for the reaction between caesium and water. (2)
- November 2020, Paper 1, Q1(b)(ii) (1 mark): Which of these is the least reactive element in Group 1? (1) A caesium B lithium C potassium D sodium
- November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q4(a) (2 marks): When a teacher drops a small piece of sodium into a trough of cold water, she observes bubbles of gas. Give two other observations that would be made when sodiu
- November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q4(b)(i) (1 mark): Give a chemical equation for this reaction. (1)
- November 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q4(c) (3 marks): The table shows the electronic configurations of sodium and potassium. Element Electronic configuration sodium 2.8.1 potassium 2.8.8.1 Explain, in terms of thei
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (2 marks): Give two other observations that could be made. (2) 1 2
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q5(b)(i) (1 mark): Give one observation that would be different if potassium is used instead of lithium. (1)
- January 2020 (R), Paper 2, Q5(b)(ii) (3 marks): The diagram represents an atom of lithium and an atom of potassium. K Li Explain why potassium is more reactive than lithium. (3)
- June 2019 (R), Paper 1, Q2(a) (3 marks): The table gives some statements about the reaction of potassium with water. Place ticks () in three boxes to show which three statements are correct. (3) State
- June 2019 (R), Paper 1, Q2(b)(i) (1 mark): Suggest a value for the pH of the solution. (1)
- June 2019 (R), Paper 1, Q2(b)(ii) (1 mark): Give the formula of the ion responsible for this pH value. (1)
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