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Many of us gained our first appreciation for chemistry upon witnessing a high school teacher drop a chunk of sodium into a beakerful of water. You may think you know the explanation behind the ...

Alkali metals can react explosively with water and it is textbook knowledge that this vigorous behaviour results from heat release, steam formation and ignition of the hydrogen gas that is produced.

Click the play button on the video above, and you’ll see a piece of sodium leaping over and over to get its (metaphoric) toes out of the water. It looks like a cute little experiment — but it’s not ...

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Even if you slept your way through high school chemistry, there was typically one day that ensured you were awake. That's when, after an extensive safety lecture, the teacher brought out the alkali ...