Abstract: Inorganic chemistry presents considerable challenges for both learners and educators due to its extensive content and obscure patterns. Establishing a well-structured knowledge framework serves as a crucial approach to address these difficulties. Using alkali metal instruction as a case study, this study develops a comprehensive knowledge framework template for elemental chemistry in inorganic education, distills essential concepts from the alkali metals chapter, and elucidates the fundamental logical relationships among these concepts. The paper introduces the novel academic proposition that “superoxides are primarily formed during the initial reaction between reactive metals and oxygen,” subsequently proposing a three-step reaction mechanism at the microscopic level. This approach establishes a new knowledge paradigm for understanding alkali metal-oxygen reactions based on their intrinsic characteristics, leading to significant improvements in pedagogical outcomes. The findings demonstrate that constructing a coherent knowledge framework not only enhances teaching effectiveness but also facilitates academic discoveries through cognitive stimulation, offering innovative perspectives for both research and instruction in inorganic chemistry.

Key words: Inorganic chemistry, Alkali metal, Superoxide, Reaction mechanism