Why are lithium salts commonly hydrated and those of the other alkali ions usually anhydrous?

Vedclass pdf generator app on play store
Vedclass iOS app on app store
(N/A) Among alkali metal ions,$Li^{+}$ has the smallest size,due to which it has a very high charge density and can easily polarize water molecules. This leads to strong ion-dipole interactions,causing $Li$ salts to be commonly hydrated (e.g.,$LiCl \cdot 2H_2O$). The other alkali metal ions $(Na^{+}, K^{+}, Rb^{+}, Cs^{+})$ are larger in size,resulting in lower charge density and a weaker ability to polarize water molecules. Consequently,their salts are usually anhydrous.

Explore More

Similar Questions

Fill in the blanks:
$(1)$ Lithium on reaction with nitrogen present in air is denoted by .....
$(2)$ Potassium gives ...... colour in oxidizing flame.
$(3)$ ....... and ........ metals are used in photoelectric cells.
$(4)$ When alkali metal dissolves in ammonia,it produces a blue-coloured solution. This colour is due to .......

Difficult
View Solution

Among the hydroxides and carbonates of $IA$ and $IIA$ group elements respectively,on moving down the group,the correct solubility order is:

Difficult
View Solution

The metallic lustre exhibited by sodium is explained by

Which one of the following elements reduces $NaOH$ to $Na$?

What happens if the concentration of $Na^{+}$ ions increases in the body?

Vedclass Products

For Students

Vedclass Test Series

Mock tests in real JEE/NEET style with performance analysis. 5-day free trial.

Start Free Trial
For Teachers

Exam Paper Generator

Generate Set A/B/C/D exam papers from 7.5L+ questions in 2 minutes. 3 chapters free.

Try Free
For Institutes

Online Exam Module

Live online exams with unlimited students, 360° analytics & white-label branding.

See Demo