Advanced Certificate of Science

Level 2
CYF2515 Chemistry I
Day School – 7 (English Medium)
Kithmini Wickramanayake, BSc.(OUSL), MSc.(Reading)
bwkiwic@gmail.com
Department of Chemistry 13.06.2023.
CAT-2 Exam - on 29th of July
at 1.30-2.30 p.m.

1 hr paper – 25 MCQs

Department of Chemistry
Blocks of the periodic table

Department of Chemistry
UNIT 2
SESSION 4
The s - block

Department of Chemistry
Members of the s-Block Elements
IA IIA

Li Be IA Alkali metals

Na Mg IIA Alkaline Earth metals

K Ca

Rb Sr

Cs Ba

Fr Ra

Department of Chemistry
Group 1
• Characteristic valence electron configuration - ns1
• All - metals
• Low melting points
• Soft enough to be cut with a knife
• All the isotopes of the element Fr are radioactive

Department of Chemistry
Group 2
• Have a ns2 valence electron configuration
• These elements are also metals
• Harder and denser than Group 1 elements and exhibit
higher melting points
• This is because each of these atoms contributes two
electrons giving rise to stronger metallic bonding
• All the isotopes of the element Ra are radioactive

Department of Chemistry
Occurrence
• Both alkali metals and alkaline earth metals are very
reactive so they do not exist free in nature and exist in a
combined state
• Among the alkali metals, sodium and potassium are
abundant and lithium, rubidium and cesium have lower
abundance
• Francium and Radium are highly radioactive
• Of the alkaline earth metals, calcium and magnesium rank
fifth and eighth in abundance respectively in the earth crust
Department of Chemistry
Bonding characteristics
• The elements of the s-block are electropositive - they usually form
ionic bonds with electronegative elements
• Ionic bonding involves the complete transfer of one or more
electrons from one atom to another.

The ionic bonding of

NaCl can be visualized
in terms of Lewis
diagrams

Department of Chemistry
By definition, the oxidation number of an atom is the charge that
atom would have if the compound was composed of ions.

Department of Chemistry
How to Find Charges If No “Rule”?

• Sum of Individual Oxidation no of all the elements in

a compound = 0
– All compounds are NEUTRAL

Ex: NaClO3
– What is the Ox: no for each element?

Department of Chemistry
How to Find Charges If No “Rule”?

• Sum of Ox: no of all atoms in a polyatomic ion is

equal to the charge of that ion.

Ex: PO4-3

– What is the charge of each element?

Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Let’s Practice
• What is the oxidation number of sulfur in Na2S2O3?

• What is the oxidation number assigned to

manganese in KMnO4?

• What is the oxidation number of chromium in the

chromate ion, CrO4 2– ?
Department of Chemistry
Get 15mins and Practice Assigning Oxidation
Numbers for each element,
NO2 N= ?? O = ?? CaCl2
N2O5 K2Cr2O7
HClO3 KH
HNO3 NaHCO3
Ca(NO3)2 H2O
KMnO4 MgO

Department of Chemistry
ANSWERS

NO2 N= +4, O = -2 CaCl2 Ca = +2, Cl = -1

N2O5 N = +5, O = -2 K2Cr2O7 K=+1, Cr=+6, O=-2
HClO3 H=+1, Cl=+5, O = -2 KH K = +1, H= -1
HNO3 H=+1, N = +5, O = -2 NaHCO3 Na= +1, H= +1, C=+4, O= -2
Ca(NO3)2 Ca=+2, N =+5, O= -2 H2O H= +1, O= -2
KMnO4 K=+1, Mn=+7, O= -2 MgO Mg = +2, O = -2

Department of Chemistry
• Mahjong Oxidation no Game:
Mahjongchem
https://www.educationalappstore.com/app/mahjong-chem

• How to calculate oxidation no???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSAwDJTLIKY
https://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch2/oxnu
mb.html#:~:text=By%20definition%2C%20the%20oxidation%20number,2.

• Practice:
https://www.varsitytutors.com/mcat_physical-help/oxidation-number
Department of Chemistry
Oxidation states of s-block
• What is the oxidation state of Group 1? +1

• What is the oxidation state of Group 2? +2

Department of Chemistry
What is a Chemical Equation?
• https://sciencenotes.org/what-is-a-chemical-equation-definition-
and-examples/

Department of Chemistry
Writing and Balancing Chemical
Equations
• https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Oregon_Tech_Portlan
dMetro_Campus/OT_-_PDX_-
_Metro%3A_General_Chemistry_I/05%3A_Transformation
s_of_Matter/5.01%3A_Writing_and_Balancing_Chemical_
Equations

Department of Chemistry
Chemical properties of s block
• The alkali metals are strong reducing agents
• They are able to reduce O₂, Cl2, NH₃, H ₂ and also H₂O
• For example, consider the reaction with water,
– The alkali metals reduce water with the evolution of hydrogen and this
reaction becomes increasingly violent moving down the group.

2 2

0 +1 -2 +1 -2 +1 0
Department of Chemistry
Characteristic Flame Colours
Flame test
Li deep red Ca brick red
Na yellow Sr blood red
K lilac Ba apple green
Rb bluish red
Cs blue

Department of Chemistry
Compounds of s block
• Oxides
• Hydroxides
• Halides
• Carbonates
• Nitrates

Department of Chemistry
 E.g.
Li2O
On combustion in excess of air, Na2O, Na2O2
alkali metals form K2O2, KO2
Rb2O2, RbO2
1. Oxides- Li2O
Cs2O2, CsO2
2. Peroxides- Li2O2, NaO2

3. Superoxides- K2O2 ,Cs2O2 RbO2

• These oxides are basic and react with water to form hydroxides.

Department of Chemistry
The alkaline earth metals are able to form oxides upon heating the
corresponding carbonate or hydroxide.

They are all white solids.

These oxides with the exception of BeO, which is amphoteric (has characteristics of
an acid and a base), are basic.

The oxides of Ca, Sr and Ba react with water to form hydroxides.

Be forms BeO where as Ba forms the peroxide MO2 when burnt in excess air.
However, the other alkaline earth metals are able to form both types of oxygen
compounds when burnt in air.

Department of Chemistry
 E.g.
LiOH
NaOH
KOH
RbOH
CsOH

• The alkali metals react with water to form hydroxides with the
liberation of hydrogen.
• The reaction with water becomes increasingly violent on descending
the group. 2 2 2

Department of Chemistry
The solubility of alkali metal hydroxide is?
The solubility of alkali metal hydroxides increases from top to bottom.

The order of their solubility is :

LiOH < NaOH < KOH < RbOH < CsOH

Department of Chemistry
• The alkaline earth metals, Be reacts with steam, Mg with hot water,
and Ca, Sr and Ba react rapidly with cold water to produce the
corresponding hydroxide and hydrogen.

The solution thus

obtained is mildly
alkaline and this
is called lime
water.

Department of Chemistry
• The alkali metals combine directly with halogens under appropriate conditions
forming halides of general formula MX

X = F, Cl, Br or I

• The alkali metal halides except lithium fluoride are soluble in water.
• The halides of the alkali metals except chloride, bromide and iodide of lithium
form anhydrous solids.
• The alkaline earth metal halides are also produced upon their reaction with the
halogens.
• They are solids and have the general formula MX₂

Department of Chemistry
• The alkali metal general formula M₂CO₃ - are obtained upon heating
the corresponding hydrogen carbonate.
• Are stable and decompose to their oxides only at very high
temperatures.
• Also dissolve in water to give alkaline solutions as a result of salt
hydrolysis.
• The alkaline earth metals general formula MCO₃ - are also obtained
by heating the corresponding hydrogen carbonate.
• Basicity of the carbonates increases from Be to Ba, the temperature
at which they decompose to their oxides also increases.
Department of Chemistry
Are all the group 1 & 2 carbonates soluble
in water?

Department of Chemistry
• The nitrates of the alkali metals are prepared by the addition of HNO₃ acid onto the
corresponding carbonate or hydroxide. MNO₃
• All soluble in water.

• Upon heating the alkali metal nitrates, except that of Li, decompose onto the nitrite
and oxygen.

• The alkaline earth metal nitrates are prepared by the addition of HNO₃ acid onto the
corresponding carbonate, oxide or hydroxide. M(NO₃)₂
• All soluble in water.

Department of Chemistry
Characteristic properties of s-block elements
Group 1 (alkali metals) and Group 2 (alkaline earth metals)

Electron Configuration:
Outermost energy level = s orbital
Group 1 = one valence electron
Group 2 = two valence electrons

Reactivity:
Highly reactive metals.
Alkali metals (Group 1) are the most reactive metals.
Alkaline earth metals (Group 2) are less reactive but still more reactive than most
other elements.

Department of Chemistry
Metallic Character:
All are metals, and they exhibit typical metallic properties such as high electrical and thermal
conductivity, malleability, and ductility.

Ionization Energy:
Have relatively low ionization energies.

Electro positivity:
S-block elements are electropositive.
Alkali metals are more electropositive than alkaline earth metals.

Size:
S-block elements generally have large atomic and ionic radii, which increase down the group
due to the addition of energy levels.

Department of Chemistry
Alkaline Oxides and Hydroxides:
The oxides and hydroxides of s-block elements are generally basic or alkaline in nature, reacting
with water to form hydroxides that are soluble in water and have alkaline properties.

Flame Colour:
When s-block elements are introduced into a flame, they exhibit distinct flame colors.
Ex: sodium produces a yellow flame, potassium produces a lilac flame, and calcium produces a
brick-red flame.

Good Reducing Agents:

S-block elements have a strong tendency to donate electrons, making them good reducing
agents in chemical reactions.

Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Homework
• Activity 4.1 chart with relevant chemical equations

Department of Chemistry
UNIT 2
SESSION 5
The p - block

Department of Chemistry
 l

Department of Chemistry
Homework
• Write down the electronic configurations for all
the p block elements

Department of Chemistry
• Boron is a non metal with an unusual structure.
• It exists in several allotropes (allotropy is the property of
some elements to exist in two or more different forms)
• The most common allotropes are crystalline boron and
amorphous boron. The crystalline boron is hard and shiny
black while amorphous boron is brown.
• These allotropes are based on various modes of
condensation of the B12 icosahedron.

Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
• The Group 13 elements exhibit +3 oxidation state in most of their compounds.
• However, the heavier elements in this group can also occur in the +1 oxidation
state due to the inert-pair effect.
• All the elements in Group 14 form compounds with the +4 oxidation state. Due to
the inert-pair effect, the stability of the +4 oxidation state decreases and the
stability of the +2 oxidation state increases on descending the group.
• The maximum oxidation state of Group 15 elements is +5. The tendency for the
+3 oxidation state of these elements increases down the group due to the inert
pair effect.
• Group 16 elements, the oxidation state of oxygen in most of its compounds is -2,
although exceptions do exist.
• The oxidation states of sulphur range from -2 to +6 but the most common
oxidation statesofare
Department -2, +4 and +6..
Chemistry
Group 13 elements
• Boron always forms covalent bonds.

• The other four elements of this group are more metallic and more ionic than boron.
Therefore, the compounds formed by them have properties in between ionic and covalent.

Group 14 elements
• Changes from covalent to ionic with going down the group.

• The majority of the compounds with the +4 oxidation state are covalent, The compounds
with the +2 oxidation state are, however, more ionic.

Group 15 elements
• Show a marked trend towards metallic character on descending the group.
• As a result, their bonding characteristics also shift from covalent to ionic on going down
the group.
Department of Chemistry
Group 16 elements
• Form ionic bonds with metals – Ionic
• With non-metals form covalent bonds giving rise to covalent compounds.

Group 17 elements
• Most of the compounds formed by the halogens with metals are ionic.
• However, covalent compounds are formed if the metal ion is very small and highly
charged.
• Most of the compounds between the halogens and non-metals are also covalent.

Group 18 elements
• Only the heavier noble gasses such as krypton and xenon are involved in bonding to
give compounds.
• However, this is also only with electronegative elements.
• These bonds are more or less covalent.

Department of Chemistry
Compounds of p block
Homework – make a short note(chart with
relevant chemical equations) on these

• Oxides

• Halides

Department of Chemistry
Find out the answer.

Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry
 Thank you!

PO Box 21, Nawala, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka

Phone: +94 11 288 100
www.ou.ac.lk
Department of Chemistry