The alkali metals are found bound up as salts and are either dissolved into seawater or are found as mineral deposits. Sodium Chloride, the most common alkali chloride compound, is found in a 3.5% concentration in ocean water and in vast underground deposits (as rock salt) or as flat surface deposits (salt flats). read more
The alkali metals are so reactive that they are generally found in nature combined with other elements. Simple minerals, such as halite (sodium chloride, NaCl), sylvite (potassium chloride, KCl), and carnallite (a potassium-magnesium chloride, KCl · MgCl2· 6H2O), are soluble in water and therefore are easily extracted and purified. read more
The alkali metals, found in group 1 of the periodic table (formerly known as group IA), are very reactive metals that do not occur freely in nature. These metals have only one electron in their outer shell. Therefore, they are ready to lose that one electron in ionic bonding with other elements. read more