Radium, the heaviest – with an atomic number of 88 – was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898 and is the only radioactive member of these metals.
What is the largest atom in the alkaline earth metal family group?
A fairly steady increase in electropositive character is observed in passing from beryllium, the lightest member of the group, to radium, the heaviest.
What are the two most common alkaline earth metals?
The alkaline earth metals are six chemical elements in group 2 of the periodic table. They are beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).
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Alkaline earth metal.
| IUPAC group number | 2 |
|---|---|
| Name by element | beryllium group |
| Trivial name | alkaline earth metals |
| CAS group number (US, pattern A-B-A) | IIA |
Which of the following is the most abundant alkaline earth metal?
The most abundant of the alkaline earth metals on Earth is calcium which is the fifth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust.
Is potassium an alkaline earth metal?
This group includes the elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium. … The elements in this group, which are all shiny and silvery-white in appearance, are known as the alkaline earth metals. Like the alkali metals, they form alkaline solutions when they react with water.
Why is Group 2 called alkaline earth metals?
Beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium are the elements in Group 2. For two reasons, these elements are referred to as Alkaline Earth metals, Their oxides remain in the crust of the earth and are very heat-stable.
What is the lightest element on earth?
Hydrogen is the lightest element. Dihydrogen, H2, is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas.
How do alkaline earth metals behave?
The alkaline earth metals are shiny, silvery-white, and somewhat reactive metals at standard temperature and pressure. All the alkaline earth metals readily lose their two outermost electrons to form cations with a 2+ charge.
What is the first alkaline earth metal?
The name Beryllium comes from the Greek beryllos which is the name for the gemstone beryl. The element is a high-melting, silver-white metal which is the first member of the alkaline earth metals.
What are some properties of alkaline earth metals?
Properties of Alkaline Earth Metals
- shiny.
- silvery-white.
- somewhat reactive metals at standard temperature and pressure.
- readily lose their two outermost electrons to form cations with a 2+ charge.
- low densities.
- low melting points.
- low boiling points.
Where can I find alkaline earth metals?
You will find the alkaline earth metals right next door in Group II. This is the second most reactive family of elements in the periodic table.
Is magnesium an alkaline earth metal?
The alkaline earth metals (beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium) are the second most reactive metals in the periodic table (Table 3.7), and, like the Group 1 metals, have increasing reactivity in the higher periods.
Can alkaline earth metals exist alone in nature?
Because of their reactivity, alkaline Earth metals never exist as pure substances in nature. Instead, they are always found combined with other elements.
Why alkaline earth metals are harder than alkali metals?
Alkaline earth metals (ns2) are denser than alkali metals (ns1) because metallic bonding in alkaline earth metals is stronger than alkali metals due to presence of two electrons in valence shell as compared to one electron in alkali metals.
What is the difference between alkali & alkaline earth metals?
The elements of group IIA (alkaline earth) have much higher melting points and boiling points compared to those of group IA (alkali metals). The alkalis also have a softer and are more lightweight whereas the alkaline earth metals are much harder and denser.