INTRODUCTION

Elements make up everything around us including the trees of a forest, your pets, and
even human. These elements are found on the periodic table. The term “periodic” reflects the
fact that the elements show patterns in their chemical properties in certain regular intervals. If it
were not because of the simplification provided by the periodic table, students of chemistry
would need to individually learn the properties of all known elements (Scientific America, 2011).
Periodic Trends are specific patterns that are present in the periodic table that illustrate different
aspects of a certain element, including its size and its electronic properties. Major periodic
trends include: electronegativity, ionization energy, electron affinity, atomic radius, melting point,
and metallic character (Chemistry Libre Texts, 2018).

By the identification of the general trends exhibited by the elements, interesting general
tendencies of changes of solubility of elements and groups of compounds may be observed
when the corresponding solubility data are arrayed according to the increasing atomic number
of the elements (Gumiński, 2015). Thereby, this experiment further wanted to observe and also
describe other specific properties of the elements in terms of its solubility properties specifically
on ionic compounds containing alkaline earth metal cations which are the Ba(NO3)2, Ca(NO3)2,
Mg(NO3)2, & Sr(NO3)2.

Alkali and alkaline metals are the most reactive metals in the periodic table. All of these
elements react readily with water, rubidium and caesium (Halka, M. & Brian N.B., 2010).

Solubility is a chemical property referring to the ability for a given substance, the solute,
to dissolve in a solvent. The substance dissolving into the other is the solute and the substance
being dissolved into is the solvent. Solubility isn’t limited to just liquids mixing with other liquids,
however, solids and gases can also mix into liquids. A solution is created when the solute’s
molecules form intermolecular bonds with the solvent’s molecules as they merge (Essays,
2018).

On the other hand, this experiment intends to observe the relative abilities of the
halogens to be reduced to halides, or as oxidizing agents. The halogens are five non-metallic
elements found in group 17 of the periodic table. The term "halogen" means "salt-former" and
compounds containing halogens are called "salts". All halogens have 7 electrons in their outer
shells, giving them an oxidation number of -1(Halogens, 2012).

Oxidation is loss of electrons and each of the elements could potentially take electrons
from something else to make their ions which also mean that they are all potentially oxidizing
agents. Formation of ions depends on how strongly the new electrons are attracted. As the
atoms get bigger, the new electrons find themselves further from the nucleus, and more and
more screened from it by the inner electrons offsetting the effect of the greater nuclear charge
(Chemguide, 2002).

Therefore, this experiment helps the students to apply the periodic trends for future
purposes, know the solubility of alkaline earth metals and the abilities of halogens to be reduced
to halides.
References:

Chemguide (2002).The Oxidizing Ability of the Group 7 Elements (the Halogens). Retrieved from
https://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/group7/halogensasoas.html Chemistry Libre Texts. (2016).
General Concepts: Periodic Trends and Reactions. Retrieved from
bretexts.org/Bookshelves/General_Chemistry/Map%3A_Chemistry__The_Central_Scien
ce_(Brown_et_al.)/22%3A_Chemistry_of_the_Nonmetals/22.01%3A_General_Concepts
%3A_Periodic_Trends_and_Reactions Chemistry Libre Texts (2017). Electronegativity Trends of Periodic
Table. Retrieved from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook
_Maps/Supplemental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Physical_Proper tie
s_of_Matter/Atomic_and_Molecular_Properties/Electronegativity Page 26 of 42 Chemistry Libre Texts.
(2018). Periodic trends. Retrieved from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(I
norganic_Chemistry)/Descriptive_Chemistry/Periodic_Trends_of_Elemental_Properties/ Peri
odic_Trends

Halogens. (2012). Retrived from http://www.chemicalelements.com/groups/halogens.html

Essays, UK. (November 2018). Importance of Solubility in Everyday First. Retrieved from
https://www.ukessays.com/essays/sciences/solubility.php?vref=1