APA citation style: Historic American Buildings Survey, C. & Benison, G. (1933) Oakland Plantation, Mount Pleasant, Charleston County, SC. Documentation Compiled After. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sc0292/.
There are 18 groups (columns) in the periodic table. Group 1 (also known as the alkali metals) is the column on the far left of the table. Elements in the same group have similar, but not identical characteristics. This is because they all have the same number of electrons in their outermost shell.
Alkali Metals. Group I of the Periodic Table is composed of highly reactive metals. They react vigorously with water to produce hydroxides and release hydrogen. Even in air they react quickly to cover their surfaces with oxides. In nature they are found in ionic compounds, but never in the pure state. Their chemical activity increases as you move downward through the periods from Li to Na to K, etc.