Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong

1. Group 2 elements are known as alkaline earth metals or sblock elements as their valence electrons are in s orbitals.
2. The Group 2 elements are beryllium, magnesium, calcium,
strontium, barium.
3. Some information of the Group 2 elements is listed in the table
below.
Proton Mass
Electron
Atomic Ionization Melting Boiling
Number (g) Configuration Radius Energy
Point Point
(pm)
(kJ/mol)

Flame
Color

Crystal
Structure

Be

9.012

1s22s2

105

899.5

1560K 2742K None

Hexagonal

Mg

12

24.31

[Ne]3s2

150

737.7

923K

1363K Brilliant
White

Hexagonal

Ca

20

40.08

[Ar]4s2

180

589.8

1115K

1757K Brick RedFace

Centered
Cubic

Sr

38

87.62

[Kr]5s2

200

549.5

1655K 1655K Crimson Face

Red
Centered
Cubic

Ba

56

137.3

[Xe]6s2

215

502.9

1000K 2170K Apple

Green

Body
Centered
Cubic

4. All have valence shell electronic configuration of ________________.

5. They are all ____________________________ and are not found in the
free elemental states in nature.
6. In their pure state, they have a silver colour but tarnish rapidly in
air due to the formation of an oxide layer on the metals surface.
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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
Example :
7. They are soft and can be easily cut with a knife.
Physical Properties
1. Atomic radius increases down the group as the outermost
electrons are in the shells further from the nucleus and the screening
effect of inner electrons increases.

2. Ionic radius (of M2+) increases down the group (same reason
as for increase in atomic radius). Ionic radius is less then the original
atom as the nuclear charge exceeds the electronic charge.
3. Melting points generally decrease down the group as
melting bonding gets weaker due to increased atomic size (the
number of delocalized electrons per atom is the same).
However, different crystalline structures can also affect the melting
point.
(Note : The melting point of magnesium is lower than that of calcium).

Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong

4. Ionisation energies (1st and 2nd) are relatively low and

decreases down the group (the increase in nuclear charge is
exactly offset by the increase in the number of inner electrons.
However, going down the group, the distance between the nucleus
and the outer electrons increase, and the outer electrons become
easier to remove).

5. Electronegativity increases down the group as increased

size and increased screening effect make any shared pair of electrons
less strongly attracted to the nucleus.

Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong

Chemical Properties
1.

General

(a) The group 2 elements are typical metals and are very reactive,
powerful reducing agents.

(b) They form mostly ionic compounds containing M2+ ions

except for some covalent compounds formed by beryllium; and only
have the oxidation number +2 in all their compounds.
(c) On going down the group, the elements generally become
more reactive because as proton number increases, the atomic
radius increases, the ionization energy decreses, and atom
loses its electrons more readily to form the M 2+ ion. So the metals
become more electropositive.

Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
2. Reaction with Water
(a) The reactivity of the elements with water increases down
the group. As the elements become more electropositive their
reducing power increases; reducing water to hydrogen and
forming their hydroxides or oxides.

(b) (i) Beryllium does not react with cold water. (will react
slowly with steam at very high temperature)

(ii) Heated magnesium reacts rapidly with steam to form

magnesium oxide and hydrogen.
(iii) Calcium reacts very slowly in cold water but rapidly with hot
water to form the sparingly soluble calcium hydroxide and hydrogen.

(iv) Strontium and barium react vigorously with cold water to

form their respective hydroxide solution and hydrogen.

3. Reaction with oxygen

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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
(a) The metal (when heated) burn in air to form the oxides
which are white solids.
General equation :
(b) Reactivity increases down the group. Fine barium powder
will burn
spontaneously in air, (Barium is normally stored in paraffin
oil).

(c) Due to the decreasing polarizing power of the cation

down the group, the formation of peroxides becomes possible.
Strontium and barium from SrO2 and BaO2 respectively with excess
oxygen but magnesium does not.
(d) Properties of the oxides
(i) the oxides are all basic (except BeO which is
amphoteric)
(ii) the solubility of the oxides in water increases down
the group :

Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong

Trend in
thermal stability of the Nitrates, Carbonates and Hydroxides
of Group 2 elements
All nitrates, carbonates and hydroxides of the Group 2 elements
decompose when heated strongly.
Thermal stability increases down the group, that is ease of
thermal decomposition decreases.
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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
Explanation :
1. (a) Thermal decomposition occurs due to the polarization of
the large anion by the Group 2 cation of high charge density.
(b) Polarisation distorts the electron cloud and weakens
bonds, resulting in decomposition.
For example, the large carbonate ion decomposes as shown
below

Polarisation occurs when a small cation distorts the electron cloud of

a large anion. The polarizing effect is greastest between a small
cation with a high charge (high charge density) and a large anion.
2. (a) The thermal stability of Group 2 compounds increases
down the group from Be to Ba. On descending the group,
temperatures required to decompose the compounds increase.
(b) Reason :
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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
(i) the size of Group 2 cations increases down the group.
As all the ions have 2+ charges, the charge density and hence the
polarizing power of the

cations also decreases down the

group.
(ii) When the polarization of large anions decreases,
they are not as easy decomposed.
(c) The compounds of beryllium are the least stable and
undergo the thermal decomposition most easily.

3. (a) When the nitrates, carbonates and hydroxides of the

elements are heated, the metal oxides are formed because they are
more stable.
(b) Reasons for extra stability of the metal oxide:
(i) The oxide ion, O2-, is smaller and not as easily polarized
compared to the bigger NO3- , CO32- and OH- ions.
(ii) The ionic bond between the cation (M2+) and the
smaller oxide ion will be stronger resulting in a higher lattice
energy for the metal oxide.
Solubility Of Sulphates
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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
1. Sulphates of Group 2 elements are formed when the basic oxides
react with
sulphuric acid. The sulphate has the general formula MSO 4 (e.g.
MgSO4 ,
CaSO4)
2. The solubility of the sulphates decreases down the group.
Magnesium sulphate is very soluble in water, but barium sulphate
is very sparingly soluble (insoluble).
3. The solubility of an ionic compound depends on two factors :
(a) The lattice energy of the ionic solid
(b) The enthalpy of hydration (or hydration energy) of the
carbon anion.
4.

(a) A higher lattice energy will result in a decrease in

solubility.
(i) Energy is required to break the solid lattice apart into
its free ions.

This process is endothermic and the amount of energy

required per mole of compound is equivalent to its lattice energy.
(Lattice energy is defined as the energy evolved (exothermic) when 1
mol of an ionic lattice is formed from its constituent gaseous ions).
(ii) Lattice energy increases when the size of the ion(s)
decreases, the charge on the ion(s) increases; and its charge
density increases as more energy is required to break the stronger
ionic bonds that hold the ions together.
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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
(b) A higher enthalpy will result in an increase in solubility
(i) When an ionic compound dissolves, the free ions become
hydrated by water molecules, heat energy is given out. the
energy involved is the enthalpy of hydration.
(ii) Enthalpy of hydration increases when the size of the ion
decreases, the charge on the ion increases; and its charge
density increases.
5. (a) Going down the group, the size of the M2+ ion increases
and charge density decreases. Hence both the lattice energy and
the enthalpy oh hydration decrease.

(b) However, for the sulphates of the Group 2 elements, the

decrease in lattice energy down the group is very small. This is
because the size of the sulphate ion is very large compared to the
size of the cation M2+.
So the decrease in lattice energy of the sulphate down the
group is small and will not contribute much to its solubility.

(c) However the increase in ionic size of the cations from Be2+
to Ba2+ causes a large decrease in the enthalpy of hydration of
the cations down the group.
A decrease in enthalpy of hydration causes the
solubility of the sulphates to decrease.
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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
(d) In summary, going down Group 2, the enthalpy of the
hydration of the cations on the lattice energy decrease because the
size of the cations increases and the charge density decreases.
However, the enthalpy of hydration decreases much more than
the lattice energy. Hence the solubility of the sulphates decreases
down the group.

Anomalous Properties of Beryllium

1. Some of the properties of beryllium are more similar to the
properties of
aluminium (Group 13) that those of the elements of Group 2.
These properties atypical of the Group 2 elements arise due to
(a) the small atomic radius of Be resulting in its very high
ionization energy.
(b)the high charge density of the Be2+ ion giving it a high
polarizing power.

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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong
As a result, beryllium forms covalent compounds as well as
ionic compounds with covalent character.
(c) the high charge density of the Be2+ ion also enables it to
attract lone pair
electrons from ligands to form complex ion.
(d) the electronegativity of be is equal to that of aluminium.
2. Beryllium chloride is a covalent solid with low melting point
whereas all the other chlorides of Group 2 elements are ionic
compounds.
At room temperature beryllium chlorides exists as Be 2Cl44It Hydrolyses in water forming fumes of HCl
3. Beryllium oxides is amphoteric while all the other oxides of
Group 2 elements are basic.

4. Beryllium forms complex ions such as [BeF4]2- and [Be(OH)4]2but the elements of Group 2 do not.

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Chemistry Sem 2: Group 2 Ms.

Chong

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