Francium - 87Fr: reactions of elements
Reaction of francium with air
So far as I know, nobody has ever assembled enough francium in one place to know for certain its appearance. It is probably a very soft, easily cut, solid metal, perhaps even a liquid at room temperature. A fresh francium surface would soon tarnish because of reaction with oxygen and moisture from the air. Were francium ever to be burned in air, the result is expected to be francium superoxide, FrO2.
Fr(s) + O2(g) → FrO2(s)
Reaction of francium with water
Francium is very scarce and expensive. It is umlikely that anyone has ever reacted the metal with water. However, given that all the other Group 1 elements react to form colourless solutions of the hydroxide and hydrogen gas (H2), it would be strange were francium not to do the same. The resulting solution would be basic because of the dissolved hydroxide. The reaction would probably sbe faster than that of caesium - in other words dangerously quick.
2Fr(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2FrOH(aq) + H2
Reaction of francium with the halogens
So far as I know, nobody has ever assembled enough francium in one place to carry out its reactions with halogens. However one can predict that francium metal would react vigorously with all the halogens to form francium halides. So, it would reacts with fluorine, F2, chlorine, Cl2, bromine, I2, and iodine, I2, to form respectively francium(I) bromide, FrF, francium(I) chloride, FrCl, francium(I) bromide, FrBr, and francium(I) iodide, FrI.
2Fr(s) + F2(g) → FrF(s)
2Fr(s) + Cl2(g) → FrCl(s)
2Fr(s) + Br2(g) → FrBr(s)
2Fr(s) + I2(g) → FrI(s)
Reaction of francium with acids
I'm not sure this reaction has ever been done, but one would predict that francium metal will dissolve very readily in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the aquated Fr(I) ion together with hydrogen gas, H2.
2Fr(s) + H2SO4(aq) → 2Fr+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + H2(g)
Reaction of francium with bases
Francium is very scarce and expensive. It is umlikely that anyone has ever reacted the metal with water. However, given that all the other Group 1 elements react to form colourless basic solutions of the hydroxide and hydrogen gas (H2), it would be strange were francium not to do the same. The reaction would continue even when the solution becomes basic. The resulting solution would be basic because of the dissolved hydroxide. The reaction would probably sbe faster than that of caesium - in other words dangerously quick.
2Fr(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2FrOH(aq) + H2