Chapter 10 Group 2

Atomic/Ionic Radius
Factors affecting ▪ Nuclear charge
atomic/ionic radius ▪ Screening effect
When descending Group 2, atomic /ionic radius increases
o Proton number increases, the nuclear charge increases
o Screening effect increases due to the additional of the filled inner electrons shells result in the decreases of
effective nuclear charge.
Ionic radius for cations is smaller than the neutral atoms as the two valence electrons have been lost

Ionisation Energy
Minimum energy required to remove 1 mol of electrons from 1 mol of gaseous atom
Factors affecting ▪ Nuclear charge
ionisation energy ▪ Screening effect
▪ Atomic radius
When descending Group 2, ionisation energy decreases
o Atomic radius increases
o Effective nuclear charge decreases
o The force of attraction of the nucleus to the outer electrons decreases
o The electrons are removed easily

Melting Point
Factors affecting ▪ Attractive force/ bonding
melting point ▪ Lattice structure
▪ The alkaline earth metals (Group 2) have higher melting points and boiling points, harder, denser (close
packed) compared to alkali metals (Group 1)
o Stronger metallic bonds due to the presence of two valence electrons (ns2)
o Giant metallic structure
▪ Descending Group 2, melting point decreases
▪ Metallic bonds get weaker as atomic size increases

𝑛𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑛
𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑 ∝
𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑖𝑜𝑛

Lattice structure

Be
Hexagonal close-packed
Mg

Ca
Face-centred cube
Sr

Ba Body-centred cube
 Electronegativity
Electronegativity is a measure of its ability to attract a shared electron pair
▪ Descending Group 2, the electronegativity decreases
▪ Metallic character increases

Electrical Conductivity
▪ Group 2 elements are metal
▪ Form metallic bonds
▪ Can delocalised two valence electrons
▪ Going down the group, electrical conductivity increases
▪ Metallic bonds get weaker as atomic size increases

Electrode Potential
Be E° = −1.85V
Mg E° = −2.38V
Ca E° = −2.87V Reducing power increases
Sr E° = −2.89V
Ba E° = −2.90V

▪ When going down Group 2, the E° become more negative, this means the increasing of reducing power of the metals

Reaction of Group 2 Elements with Water

Element Be Mg Ca Sr Ba

Reactivity Increases
(due to decrease in IE)

React vigorously
Cold React slowly Store in oil to prevent reaction with the moisture in
air
water
Reaction Be has no reaction with water or M + 2H2O → M(OH)2 + H2
with steam due to strong resistance
React rapidly
layer of oxide on its surface
water Hot Mg + H2O → MgO + H2
water/ Mg react with steam to form MgO React vigorously React explosively
instead of Mg(OH)2 as the metal
Steam hydroxide will thermally decomposes
to form oxide and water

Reaction of Group 2 Elements with Oxygen

Element Be Mg Ca Sr Ba

Reactivity Increases

2M + O2 → 2MO

Strontium and Barium can also form peroxides when heated in excess oxygen
Reaction with oxygen
2MO + 2O2 → 2MO2
The peroxides decompose to the oxides and their stabilities increase down the group
2MO2 → 2MO + O2

Be2+ Mg2+ Ca2+ Sr2+ Ba2+

Flame test Brilliant white Brick red Crimson red Apple green
Colourless

Reaction of Oxides of Group 2 Elements with Water

Reaction with water MO + H2O → M(OH)2

Hydroxide Be(OH)2 Mg(OH)2 Ca(OH)2 Sr(OH)2 Ba(OH)2

Amphoteric Basic
Nature of hydroxide
Basic strength increases

Solubility Insoluble Sparingly soluble Soluble

 Thermal Decomposition of the Nitrates, Carbonates and Hydroxides
▪ Ionic and exists as white solid
▪ Decomposes to their respective oxide when heated
MCO3 → MO + CO2
∆

2M(NO3)2 → 2MO + 4NO2 + O2

∆

2M(OH)2 → MO + 2H2O
∆

▪ Thermal stability increases down the group

o Size of cation increases
o Charge density decreases
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠

o Polarising power decreases

o Less ability to distort the electron cloud of anion/ Cation less polarise the electron cloud of anion (nitrates, carbonates, hydroxides)
o N-O / C-O / O-H bond is less weakened
o More heat is required to distort the electron cloud of anion (nitrates, carbonates, hydroxides)

Relative Solubility of Sulphate of Group 2 Elements

▪ Solubility of Group 2 sulphate decrease when going down the group
Sulphate BeSO4 MgSO4 CaSO4 SrSO4 BaSO4
Solubility Soluble Sparingly soluble Insoluble

∆𝐻°𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑛 = −𝐿𝐸 + ∆𝐻°ℎ𝑦𝑑

o Ionic radius increases
o Both hydration enthalpy and lattice energy decreases
o Decreases in hydration energy is more than decrease in lattice energy because the size of SO42- ion is big
o Enthalpy change of solution becomes more endothermic

Anomalous Behaviour of Beryllium

▪ Beryllium atom has very high ionisation energy
o High charge density
o High polarising power Be2+ ion
o Small atomic size
o Low screening effect
▪ Beryllium is amphoteric metal
▪ Be2+ ion has high charge density and will polarised anions bounded to it, giving a covalent character
▪ BeCl2 is covalent, hydrolysed exothermically by water, liberating acidic, steamy white fumes(HCl)
BeCl2 + 2H2O → Be(OH)2 + 2HCl

Exist as dimer in room temperature (white solid)

Be metal Amphoteric
Al metal
Be + 2H+ → Be2+ + H2
2Al + 6H+ → 2Al3+ + 3H2
Be + 2OH- + 2H2O → [Be(OH)4]2- + H2
2Al + 2OH- + 6H2O → 2[Al(OH)4] - + 3H2
▪ High charge and small ionic size (high charge density)
▪ Have empty orbitals
▪ Form stable complexes
▪ [Be(OH)4]2- , [BeF4]2-
▪ [Al(OH)4] - , [AlF6]3-
BeO Amphoteric
Be(OH)2
BeO + 2H+ → Be2+ + H2O
BeO + 2OH- + H2O → [Be(OH)4]2-
Be(OH)2 + 2H+ → Be2++ 2H2O
Be(OH)2 + 2OH- → [Be(OH)4]2-
Al2O3 Amphoteric
Al(OH)3
Al2O3 + 6H+ → 2Al3+ + 3H2O
Al2O3 + 2OH- + 3H2O → 2[Al(OH)4]-
Al(OH)3 + 3H+ → Al3+ + 3H2O
Al(OH)3 + OH- → [Al(OH)4]-
BeO, Al2O3 Ionic compound with covalent character
BeCl2, AlCl3 ▪ Exists as dimer
▪ hydrolysed exothermically by water, liberating acidic, steamy white fumes(HCl)
BeCl2 + 2H2O → Be(OH)2 + 2HCl
AlCl3 + 3H2O → Al(OH)3 + 3HCl

Be2+ , Al3+ ▪ Exists as hydrated ions [Be(H2O)4]2+ , [Al(H2O)6]3+ in solution

▪ Hydrolyses in water to produce acidic solution
o High charge density
o High polarising power
o Weaken the covalent bond (O – H) and H+ ion is released
[Be(H2O)4]2+ + H2O ⇌ [Be(H2O)3(OH)]+ + H3O+
[Al(H2O)6]3+ + H2O ⇌ [Al(H2O)5(OH)]2+ + H3O+
**Beryllium forms complex ions with coordination number of 4 but not 6 like other complex ions because beryllium is in period 2 and only has s, p orbitals. It can only
form sp3 (tetrahedral) and have a maximum coordination number of 4

Uses of Group 2 Compounds

▪ Neutralise acidic soil
CaO ▪ Water softener
▪ Lime (cement for construction)

Ca3PO4 Supplement for animal feed and fertilizer

Ca ▪ Fertilizer
▪ Fireproof plasterboard and ceiling (gypsum)
CaSO4
▪ Plaster of Paris
▪ Coagulate in food

Anhydrous CaCl2 Desiccant - absorb moisture

CaCO3 (limestone) Chalk, marble, cement for constructions

Magnesium (brilliant white) Used in fireworks

MgO Heating element, refractory, insulator for electric cable

MgCl2 Coagulate in food
Mg ▪ Laxative ( for constipation)
Mg(OH)2
▪ Antacid (for gastric pain)

▪ Bath salt
MgSO4
▪ Antiseptic
Duralumin, magnalium Alloy to make aircraft
▪ White in paint
BaSO4
Ba ▪ Used in X-ray for the digestive system
Barium (green) Used in fireworks
Sr-89 Treatment for bone cancer
Sr
Strontium (red) Used in fireworks