CHEMISTRY OF GROUP 2A:

ALKALINE EARTH METALS

Nerisa C. Ador
Janah Louise O. Del Villar
BS CHEMISTRY 1A
Beryllium
 In 1798, N.L. Vauquelin discovered the
element in beryl and emerald.
 Beryllium was first isolated in 1828 by Wöhler.


https://www.britannica.com/science/alkaline-earth-metal
Beryllium: Properties
atomic number 4
atomic weight 9.0122

melting point 1,287 °C (2,349 °F)

boiling point 2,471 °C (4,480 °F)

specific gravity 1.85 at 20 °C (68 °F)

oxidation state +2

electron configuration 1s22s2

density 1.85 g/cm3

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules
• At STP, beryllium resists oxidation and resists
corrosion in the air.
• Beryllium is a steel-gray metal that tarnishes slowly
in the air due to oxide forming around it.
• Common compounds containing beryllium are
emerald and aquamarine.
• With a small atomic radius, Be2+ has high
polarization characteristics
• Beryllium is very toxic to people
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 Beryllium does not react with air or water even
in extreme heat. However, when it is ignited,
beryllium burns brightly making beryllium oxide
and beryllium nitride.
• Beryllium dissolves easily in non-oxidizing acids,
such as HCl, with the exception of nitric.
• Beryllium combines with many non-metals to
form binary compounds, such as beryllium oxide
(BeO).
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 Occurrence
 Beryllium is in approximately 100 of the 4000 known
minerals, such as bertrandite, beryl, chrysoberyl, and
phenakite.

bertrandite chrysoberyl
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Beryl Phenakite
 Beryllium is also present in precious gems such as
aquamarine, bixbite, and emerald.

aquamarine bixbite
emerald
 Synthesis
 The extraction of beryllium begins with the mining of raw
materials (bertrandite ore and/or beryl ore). Beryl ore is melted in
industrial furnaces, solidified and crushed, then treated with
sulfuric acid to produce a water-soluble sulfate.
 Bertrandite ore is crushed, made into slurry and treated with
sulfuric acid to form a sulfate. The sulfate solutions undergo a
series of chemical extraction steps to ultimately produce
extremely pure beryllium hydroxide, from which virtually all
contaminants have been removed. Beryllium hydroxide is the
common input material for copper beryllium alloys, beryllia
ceramics and pure beryllium metal manufacturing.
https://beryllium.com/About-Beryllium/Sources%20of%20Beryllium.
Application

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 On the contrary, beryllium atoms reflect neutrons making
it great for reflectors, moderators, and control rods in
research reactors.
 Beryllium oxide is a great electric insulator and heat
conductor. It is transparent to microwaves making it useful
in microwave communications systems.
 Beryllium oxide is also used in computers, lasers, and
automotive ignition systems.

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Magnesium
 In 1755, Joseph Black of Scotland was the first to identify
magnesium as an element.
 Magnesium was first isolated in 1808, by Sir Humpry Davy
Magnesium: Properties

atomic number 12
atomic weight 24.305
melting point 651°C (1,200°F)
boiling point 1,100°C (2,000°F)
specific gravity 1.738 (20°C)
oxidation state +2
density 1.738 g/cm³
 It constitutes about 2% of the Earth's crust by weight, and it is
the 3rd most plentiful element dissolved in seawater.
 Reacts at a slow pace with cold water and at a very rapid pace
with hot water.
 Reacts with almost all the acids and alkalines, leading to the
formation of a variety of different compounds and by-
products.
 Actively reacts with many non-metals such as nitrogen and
fluorine.
 Burns very rapidly, when at room temperature. This burning
process is very furious as it produces a blinding white light.
 Occurrence
 Magnesium is very reactive metal and does not exist in a free
state in nature.
 It is found in abundance in the minerals
brucite, magnesite, dolomite, and carnalite.
 Magnesium carbonate occurs in nature in several minerals as
hydrated, basic and double salts. The two principal minerals are
magnesite, (MgCO3) and dolomite, a double salt, (CaCO3).
 Magnesium nitrate occurs naturally only in mines and caverns
as nitromagnesite. The magnesium nitrate used in commerce is
made by the reaction of nitric acid and and various magnesium
salts.
Synthesis and Application
 Magnesium is prepared by reducing magnesium oxide with
silicon, or by the electrolysis of molten magnesium chloride.
 A human body requirement for effective functioning. This
mineral is prominently present in bones and body cells.
 Magnesium is rarely used in the structures in its free form
due to its reactive properties.
 Magnesium components are widely used in industry and
agriculture.
 Magnesium is a constituent of the chlorophyll in green plants
and is necessary in the diet of animals and humans.
Magnesium in the Plants Magnesium in Chemical Industry
Calcium
 first isolated (1808) by Sir Humphry Davy after distilling
mercury from an amalgam formed by electrolyzing a mixture
of lime and mercuric oxide. The name for the element was
taken from the Latin word for lime, calx.

https://www.britannica.com/science/alkaline-earth-metal
Calcium: Properties
atomic number 20
atomic weight 40.078
melting point 842 °C (1,548 °F)
boiling point 1,484 °C (2,703 °F)
specific gravity 1.55 (20 °C, or 68 °F)
oxidation state +2
electron configuration 1s22s22p63s23p64s2
density 1.55 g/cm3
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 It is widespread in the earth’s crust, with a percentage of
around 1.5%.
 Sea water has a high concentration of calcium (400 mg/l).
 In normal conditions, it easily reacts with the formation of
corresponding binary compounds: with oxygen and halo-
gens.
 When heated it reacts with nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon,
silicon, boron, phosphorous, sulfur and other substances.
 In open air, it immediately interacts with oxygen and car-
bon dioxide.
 It reacts violently with acids, sometimes bursting into
flame. https://melscience.com/en/articles/chemical-and-physical-characteristics-calcium-its-
 Occurrence
 Calcium is a very reactive and does not occur as a free element
in nature.
 It is present in the earth's crust in the forms of carbonate,
sulfate, fluoride, silicate and borate.
 The calcium carbonate occurs in marble, chalk, limestone
and calcite.
 Calcium sulfate (CaSO4) occurs in anhydrite and gypsum,
calcium fluoride in fluorspar or fluorite (CaF2) and calcium
phosphate occurs in apatite.
 Calcium also occurs in numerous silicates and alumino silicates.
 Almost all natural waters, including seawater, contain either or
both calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate.

http://nautilus.fis.uc.pt/personal/dario/st2.6/scenes-e/elem/e02020.html
 Synthesis and Applications
 Formerly produced by electrolysis of anhydrous calcium
chloride, pure calcium metal is now made commercially by
heating lime with aluminum in a vacuum.
• Calcium metal is used as a reducing agent in preparing other

metals such as thorium and uranium. It is also used as an

alloying agent for aluminium, beryllium, copper, lead and
magnesium alloys.
• Calcium is essential to both plant and animal life and is

broadly employed as a signal transducer, enzyme cofactor,

and structural element (e.g., cell membranes, bones, and
teeth).
https://www.britannica.com/science/calcium
Calcium salts are used to produce a
Calcium-stearate in manufacturing of
deep orange fireworks
wax crayons

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ylPKrTi1RU
 Strontium
 Strontium was first discovered by an Irish chemist, Adair Crawford
in 1790.
 It was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy, an English chemist in
1808 through the electrolysis of a mixture of strontium chloride,
and mercuric oxide.
Strontium: Properties

atomic number 38
atomic weight 87.62
melting point (777 °C)
boiling point (1655 °C)
specific gravity 2.63
oxidation state +2
density (2.64 g/cm3)
 Strontium reacts with water slowly, generally to strontium
hydroxide and hydrogen gas.

 Highly reactive, chemically and reacts with both air and water.
 Occurrence
 Strontium is quite common in nature — it is the 15th most
abundant element in Earth's crust.
 It occurs in about 0.03 % of all igneous rock.
 Natural strontium is a mixture of 4 stable isotopes — Sr-84, Sr-
86, Sr-87 and Sr-88 — and is primarily found within the
minerals celestite and strontianite.
 Synthesis and Application
 Most strontium is formed when the element rubidium decays.
 Strontium can be prepared by electrolysis of the fused chloride
mixed with potassium chloride.
 Alternatively it can be produced by reducing strontium oxide
with aluminum at a temperature high enough to distil off the
strontium
 Strontium can be used in the production of color television
tubes.
 It can generate electricity for space vehicles, remote weather
stations and navigation buoys
 It is also used in the manufacture of ceramics and specialty
glass.
Barium
• Barium takes it name from the Greek word barys for heavy.
• Barium was first discovered in 1774 by Carl Scheele, but
was not isolated as a pure metal until 1808 when Sir
Humphry Davy electrolyzed molten barium salts.

https://www.britannica.com/science/alkaline-earth-
Barium: Properties

atomic number 56
atomic weight 137.33
melting point 727 °C (1,341 °F)
boiling point 1,805 °C (3,281 °F)
specific gravity 3.51 (at 20 °C, or 68 °F)
oxidation state +2
electron configuration [Xe]6s2
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• Barium is an active metal. It combines easily with oxygen,
the halogens, and other non-metals.
• Barium also reacts with water and with most acids. It is so
reactive that it must be stored under kerosene, petroleum, or
some other oily liquid
• Isotopes: barium-130, barium-132, barium-134, barium-
135, barium-136, barium-137, and barium-138.

http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/A-C/Barium.html#ixzz5gXjqDpPg
 Occurrence
• Barium is the fourteenth most abundant element in the
Earth's crust. Its abundance is estimated to be about 0.05
percent.
• The most common sources of barium are barite and

witherite.
• The world's major sources of barium ores are China, India,
Morocco, the United States, Turkey, and Kazakhstan

Barite Witherite
http://www.chemistryexplained.com/elements/A-C/Barium.html#ixzz5gXjqDpPg
Synthesis and Application

• Barium can be extracted from barium chloride through

electrolysis. Barium can also be obtained by reducing
barium oxide using aluminum or silicon in a high-
temperature, low-pressure vacuum.
• Its main application is the removal of unwanted oxygen
from electronic vacuum tubes, such as television cathode
ray tubes (it rapidly reacts to form barium oxide).

https://www.livescience.com/37581-barium.html
https://www.raci.org.au/document/item/398
 Radium
 Radium was discovered by Marie Sklodowska Curie, a Polish
chemist, and Pierre Curie, a French chemist, in 1898.
Radium: Properties

atomic number 88
atomic weight 226
melting point 696°C
boiling point 1500°C
specific gravity 5
oxidation state +2
density 5.5 g/cm3
 Radium is rare because of its high reactivity and short half-life.

 When it is exposed to air, it reacts with nitrogen to quickly form

a black coating of radium nitride.

 It reacts very vigorously with water to form hydrogen gas

and radium hydroxide.
 Occurrence
 Radium occurs in all uranium ores, and is produced by
radioactive decay.

 Radium has an abundance of about 1 part per trillion in the

Earth's crust.

 Trace amounts of radium are found in uranium ore,

because radiumis created from the decay of the uranium atom,
which then into several other unstable elements before finally
ending in the element lead.
 Synthesis and Application
 Radium now has few uses, because it is so highly radioactive.
Radium-223 is sometimes used to treat prostate cancer that has
spread to the bones.
 It is used in the production of luminous paints
 It is used in medicine to produce radon gas for treating cancer.