Why do group 1 metals become more reactive as you descend the group?
The outer electron is further from the nucleus of the atom, therefore feeling less effective nuclear attraction .
As you descend the group 1 metals, more shells of electrons are present in the metal atom, these work to shield the outer most electron from the attraction of the nucleus. This means that less energy is required to remove the outer most electron from its orbital, making it more reactive.
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