Rubidium
For the 37th element, we jump back to the left hand side of the periodic table. Rubidium, with the chemical symbol Rb, is an Alkali Metal in the same group as Hydrogen, Lithium, Sodium and Potassium. What you. Should remember about these elements is that each of them have only one electron in their outer shell making them very reactive. In fact, rubidium is the most reactive we have met so far. The increase in reactivity is due to the distance of the outer electrons from the nucleus - the further away the electron is from the nucleus the less tightly the atom can hold onto the electron. Rubidium is very reactive in air and burns spontaneously in water.
Rubidium is a metal, solid at room temperature, but with a melting point of 40 degrees centigrade.
Rubidium is the 23rd most common element in the earth's crust. It is also present dissolved in sea water.
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