Sodium and chlorine react vigorously when heated, giving an orange flame and clouds of white sodium chloride.

When chlorine (as a gas or dissolved in water) is added to sodium bromide solution, the chlorine takes the place of the bromine. Because chlorine is more reactive than bromine, it displaces bromine ...

The spectacular reaction of alkali metals with water was poorly understood — despite being a staple of chemistry classes. It’s the classic piece of chemical tomfoolery: take a lump of sodium or ...