Topic Notes

9 - Group 2, The Alkaline Earth Metals
Prior Knowledge:
 There are over 100 elements all made up of atoms.

 Groups in the Periodic Table are vertical and periods are horizontal.
 Metals are on the left hand side of the Periodic Table and non-metals are on the right.
 Properties of an element depend on its atomic radius and how many electrons are in its outer shell.
 There are trends in properties of elements both going down a group and across a period.
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Checklist:
Specification
Checklist Questions
Reference
Can you explain the trends in atomic radius, first ionisation energy and melting
3.2.2
point of the elements Mg–Ba?
3.2.2 Can you explain the trends in atomic radius and first ionisation energy?
Can you explain the melting point of the elements in terms of their structure and
3.2.2
bonding?
3.2.2 Can you describe reactions of the elements Mg–Ba with water?
3.2.2 Can you describe the use of magnesium in the extraction of titanium from TiCl 4?
Can you explain the relative solubilities of the hydroxides of the elements Mg–Ba
3.2.2
in water?
3.2.2 Can you explain how Mg(OH)2 is sparingly soluble?
3.2.2 Can you describe the use of Mg(OH)2 in medicine and of Ca(OH)2 in agriculture?
3.2.2 Can you describe the use of CaO or CaCO3 to remove SO2 from flue gases?
3.2.2 Can you explain how BaSO4 is insoluble?
3.2.2 Can you describe the use of acidified BaCl2 solution to test for sulphate ions?
3.2.2 Can you describe the use of BaSO4 in medicine?
Can you explain why BaCl2 solution is used to test for sulphate ions and why it is
3.2.2
acidified?
9.1 – The Physical and Chemical Properties of Group 2
 Explain the…
Group 2 Elements
The elements in group 2 are sometimes called the alkaline earth

metals. This is because their oxides and hydroxides are alkaline.
Group 2 elements are all located in the S-block of the periodic table
meaning that their outermost electrons are located in the s-sub
shell. Apart from beryllium, all group 2 elements share similar
properties and react in similar ways.
Electron Arrangement and Atomic Radius
Group 2 elements have two electrons in their outermost shell, these are located within as s-orbital that becomes
further away from the nucleus as we go down the group. Group two elements therefore lose their two outer
electrons to form 2+ ions.
As you go down a group in the periodic table, the atomic radius gets larger. This is because extra electron shells
are added as you go down the group.
Write out the electron configurations for beryllium, magnesium and calcium atoms and their ions:
Melting Points
The group 2 elements have typical metallic structures, with positive ions in a crystal structure surrounded by
delocalised electrons from the outer electron shells. This means that group 2 elements generally have high
melting and boiling points. As you move down the group the melting point decreases. As you move down the
group the metal ions get bigger, however, the number of delocalised electrons remains the same (it’s always 2
per atom) and neither does the charge on the ion (it’s always 2+). This means that as you go down the group the
further away the delocalised electrons are from the positive nuclei (due to the increased ionic radii), and so
therefore the electrostatic attraction between the sea of delocalised electrons and the positive nuclei is weaker.
Therefore, less energy is required to overcome this attraction and break the metallic bonds.
First Ionisation Energies
The first ionisation (and the second ionisation) energy decreases as you move down the group. As you move
down the group each element has an extra electron shell compared to the one above. The additional inner shells
shield the outer electrons from the attraction of the nucleus. As well as causing shielding the additional shells also
mean that the outermost electrons are further away from the nucleus, which greatly reduces the attraction
between the electrons and the positively charged nucleus. However, we also need to consider the fact that as we
move down the group the positive charge of the nucleus does increase (due to the increased number of protons),
however, this effect is overridden by the effects of the additional electron shells.
Chemical Reactions of Group 2 Elements
When group 2 elements react, they are oxidised, from an oxidation state of 0 to +2 forming M 2+ ions. An example
of this can be seen when considering the reactions of group 2 elements with water. The basic reaction is as
follows:
M(s) + 2H2O(l)  M(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)
Oxidation State:0 +2
The water in this case is the oxidising agent as it causes the group 2 element to be oxidised;
remember, it itself is therefore reduced and so overall the reaction is a reduction reaction. As
we move down the group the metals become more reactive – because the ionisation energies
decrease.
Write balanced symbol equations for the reactions of magnesium, calcium and strontium with
water below:
Uses of Group 2 Elements
Group 2 elements are known as the alkaline earth metals, and many of their common compounds are used for
neutralising acids.
Write down uses of magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide below:

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9 - Group 2, The Alkaline Earth Metals

 There are over 100 elements all made up of atoms.

3.2.2 Can you explain how Mg(OH)2 is sparingly soluble?

3.2.2 Can you explain how BaSO4 is insoluble?

3.2.2 Can you describe the use of BaSO4 in medicine?

The elements in group 2 are sometimes called the alkaline earth

Electron Arrangement and Atomic Radius

First Ionisation Energies

Chemical Reactions of Group 2 Elements

M(s) + 2H2O(l)  M(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)

Uses of Group 2 Elements

Write down uses of magnesium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide below:

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