AS-LEVEL

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
PROPERTIES OF GROUP II ELEMENTS

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Properties of Group II elements

Properties of Group II Element

Group II element Be Mg Ca Sr Ba
Atomic No. 4 12 20 38 56

Atomic Radius Down the group

 Nuclear charge increases.
 Significant increase in screening effect outweighs increase in nuclear charge
1st I.E.  Effective nuclear charge decreases down the group
 Weaker electrostatic attraction between nucleus and valence electrons
 Valence electrons are further away from the nucleus
 Smaller amount of energy needed to remove the valence electron (for1st IE only)

Melting Point  Group II metals have giant metallic lattice structure

 Down a group, atomic radius increases


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Weaker electrostatic attraction between the cations and sea of delocalised electrons
Metallic bond strength decreases

Chemical
Reactivity Reducing power & chemical reactivity increases down the group

Gp II metals are Down the group,

very good  the atomic radius increases
reducing agents  it becomes easier to lose the 2 outermost electrons (oxidation more likely to occur)
(OR the ionisation energy decreases thus valence electrons are more easily lost)

 E is negative and decreases

M2+ + 2e M E < 0
e.g Mg 2+
+ 2e Mg E = -2.38V
Ca2+ + 2e Ca E = -2.87V
 Reactivity of Group II elements increases. (e.g. Ca is more reactive than Mg)
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Group II element Be Mg Ca Sr Ba
Reaction with  Reacts vigorously  Reacts  Reacts vigorously
 No reaction with  Reacts very
water with cold water to vigorously with with cold water to
cold water or slightly with cold
give sparingly
steam water cold water to give soluble
soluble Ca(OH)2
 It reacts rapidly give sparingly Ba(OH)2
with steam to form soluble Sr(OH)2
oxide
Ca(s) + 2H2O(l)
 MgO dissolves Sr(s) + 2H2O(l) → Ba(s) + 2H2O(l) →
→Ca(OH)2(s) + H2(g)
partially in water to Sr(OH)2(s)+ H2(g) Ba(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)
give a weakly
alkaline solution

Mg(s) + H2O(g) →
MgO(s) + H2(g)
MgO(s) + H2O(l)
Mg(OH)2(aq)

Reaction with
Oxygen
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All Group II metals burn with a bright flame to form basic oxides. (exception: BeO which is amphoteric)

2Ca(s) + O2(g) → 2CaO(s)

2Sr(s) + O2(g) → 2SrO(s)
2Ba(s) + O2(g) → 2BaO(s)
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Reaction of Group II Metal Oxides with Water

Group II Oxides BeO MgO CaO SrO BaO

Amphoteric (ionic bond with Basic (ionic bond)
covalent character since Be2+ has (reacts with acids to give salt and water)
Nature of oxide high charge density)
(reacts with both acids and bases) MO + 2HCl → MCl2 + H2O
M = Gp II metals
BeO + 2HCl → BeCl2 + H2O
BeO + 2OH- H2O→ Be(OH)42-

Dissolve in water to give an alkaline solution (pH 10 – 13)

Reaction with Insoluble in water Slightly soluble
water in water CaO(s) + H2O(l) → Ca(OH)2(aq)
(pH≈9) SrO(s) + H2O(l) → Sr(OH)2(aq)
BaO(s) + H2O(l) → Ba(OH)2(aq)
MgO + H2O
Mg(OH)2

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Thermal Stability of Carbonates, Nitrates and Hydroxides

Thermal stability of Group II salts increases down the group

or Thermal decomposition temperature of Group II salts increases down the group

Down the group,

 size of cation increases (while charge remains unchanged)
 charge density of the cation decreases
 polarising power of the cation decreases
 cation is less able to distort electron cloud of an anion
 thermal stability of compound increases.

M(NO3)2(s) → MO(s) + 2NO2(g) + ½ O2(g) where M refers to any Group II metal

(brown gas)
MCO3(s) → MO(s) + CO2 (g)
M(OH)2(s) → MO(s) + H2O(g)

MgO is used as refractory lining for high temperature furnaces because of its high melting point.
CaO (quicklime) or CaCO3 (limestone) is used for liming (increased soil pH).
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Reaction with Oxygen.

Mg + O2

Ca + O2

Sr + O2

Ba + O2

Reaction with water.

Be + H2O

Mg + H2O

Ca + H2O NIAZ HUSSAIN +923214402677

Sr + H2O

Ba + H2O

Reaction of metaloxide with water.

Be O + H2O

Mg O + H2O

Ca O + H2O

Sr O + H2O

Ba O + H2O
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Thermal decomposition of metal carbonates

Thermal stability of group 2 carbonates increases down the group because

charge to size ratio of the metal cation decreases down the group so the ,

polarizing power of the metal cation decrease down the group hence there

is less distortion in the electronic cloud of the anion ultimately more

energy is required to decompose the metal carbonate down the group.

MCO3 MO + CO2

MgCO3

CaCO3

SrCO3

BaCO3
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Thermal decomposition of metal nitrates
Thermal stability of group 2 nitrates increases down the group because

charge to size ratio of the metal cation decreases down the group so the ,

polarizing power of the metal cation decrease down the group hence there

is less distortion in the electronic cloud of the anion ultimately more

energy is required to decompose the metal nitrate down the group.

M(NO3)2 MO + NO2 + O2

Mg(NO3)2

Ca(NO3)2

Sr(NO3)2

Ba(NO3)2