Why is hydrogen sometimes grouped with the alkali metals in some Periodic Tables?

Question

Caleb Adams · Accepted Answer

Because it has the ONE valence electron...........

Hydrogen is commonly grouped with the alkali metals, the which all have the one valence electron in the #s# shell. Under extreme, high pressure conditions, metallic hydrogen has been claimed. See this this site, and this is well above my level of competence.

Henry Antrim · Answer

undefined Since hydrogen has an electron in its outer shell and can also lose this electron to form a cation, like alkali metals, it is sometimes grouped with the alkali metals in some Periodic Tables. However, there is disagreement over this placement, and hydrogen is frequently placed separately at the top of Group 1 or in a different group because of its unique properties.

Jose Ayala · Answer

undefined Hydrogen is sometimes grouped with the alkali metals in some periodic tables because it shares some similarities with alkali metals in terms of its electronic configuration and reactivity. Hydrogen, like alkali metals, has only one electron in its outer shell, making it similar to alkali metals in terms of its valence electron configuration. Additionally, hydrogen can lose its single electron to form a positively charged ion, similar to how alkali metals readily lose their outermost electron to achieve a stable electron configuration.

However, hydrogen differs from alkali metals in many other aspects, such as its smaller size and its tendency to form covalent bonds rather than ionic bonds. Despite these differences, the similarities in electronic configuration and reactivity sometimes lead to hydrogen being grouped with the alkali metals in periodic tables for simplicity or to emphasize these similarities.