Important Questions for Class 11

Chemistry

Chapter 10 - The s-Block Elements

Very Short Answer Questions 1 Mark

1. Why is Group I elements known as the most electropositive element?

Ans: These elements have the most electropositive metals due to the loosely held
s-electron in the outermost valence shell. They rapidly give up an electron,
resulting in monovalent M + ions.

2. Why is lithium salts mostly hydrated?

Ans: Because Li + ions possess the highest degree of hydration, lithium salts, such
as lithium chloride ( LiCl ) and 2H2O , are predominantly hydrated.

3. Why are melting and boiling points of alkali metals low?

Ans: Because the alkali metals have only one valence electron, their melting and
boiling temperatures are low, indicating weak metallic bonding.

4. What do you mean by diagonal relationship in the periodic table?

Ans: The diagonal link is owing to the elements' having similar ionic sizes and/or
charge/radius ratio.

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 5. Why is lithium kept under kerosene oil?

Ans: Lithium is kept under kerosene oil because of their strong reactivity to
oxygen and water.

6. Name the lightest metal.

Ans: With the density of 0.543 g/cm3 , lithium is known as the lightest metal on
earth.

7. Why alkali metal hydroxides are make the strongest bases?

Ans: As the alkali metal hydroxides dissolve freely in water and generate a lot of
heat due to high hydration, they are known as the most powerful of all bases.

8. Why are peroxides and super oxides stable in comparison to other

oxides?

Ans: Peroxides and super oxides are stable because larger anions are stabilised
by larger cations through lattice energy effects.

9. Name the anomalous properties of lithium.

Ans: The anomalous properties of lithium are as follows:

(i) The lithium ion ( Li + ) is of exceptionally small size.

(ii) The charge by radius ratio, also called the polarizing power of lithium high.

10. Why are lithium compounds soluble in organic solvents?

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 Ans: Due to high polarizing power, there is an increased covalent character of
lithium compounds which is responsible for their solubility in organic solvents.

11. How is sodium carbonate prepared?

Ans: Sodium carbonate is generally prepared by Solvay’s process. Solvay’s

process is an industrial process for obtaining sodium carbonate from limestone,
ammonia and brine.

12. What is sodium amalgam?

Ans: Sodium amalgam is formed when sodium metal discharged at the cathode
reacts with mercury.

13. Why is sodium hydrogen carbonate known as baking powder?

Ans: Sodium hydrogen carbonate is known as baking soda because it

decomposes on heating and generates bubbles of carbon dioxide gas ( CO2 ) which
leaves holes in cakes and bread.

14. Why does table salt get wet in rainy season?

Ans: Table salts contain impurities such as CaCl2 and MgCl2 , both of which are
deliquescent chemicals that absorb moisture from the air when it rains.

15. What is the formula of soda ash?

Ans: Soda ash also known as sodium carbonate is prepared in large quantities by
Solvay process. Its formula is Na 2CO3 .

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 16. Why do alkaline earth metals have low ionization enthalpy?

Ans: Due to the huge size of their atoms, alkaline earth metals have low
ionisation enthalpies.

17. State one reason for alkaline earth metals in general having a greater
tendency to form complexes than alkali metals.

Ans: Alkaline earth metals have a tendency to form complexes due to their small
size and high charge.

18. Compounds of alkaline earth metals are more extensively hydrated than
those of alkali metals. Give reason.

Ans: Because alkaline earth metals have a lower size than alkali metals, their
hydration enthalpies will be higher. As a result, compounds made from alkaline
earth metals are more hydrated than those made from alkali metals.

19. The melting and boiling points of alkaline metals are higher than alkali
metals. Give reason.

Ans: Because of their smaller sizes, alkaline metals have greater melting and
boiling points than their alkali counterparts.

20. What is the nature of oxide formed by beryllium?

Ans: The oxide formed from beryllium is beryllium oxide ( BeO ) which is
covalent and amphoteric in nature. Whereas, the oxides formed from other
elements are ionic and basic in nature.

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 21. Why does beryllium show similarities with aluminium?

Ans: The ratio of charge by radium is same for both beryllium and aluminum,
that’s why they both depict similarities.

2
The charge by radius ratio of beryllium ion is Be2    0.064 and that of
31
3
aluminum ion is Al3   0.66 .
50

22. Why is beryllium carbonate unusually unstable thermally as compared

to the other carbonates of this group?

Ans: This is due to strong polarizing effect of small Be2+ on the large CO32 
anion and leading to the formation of more stable BeO .

23. Why sulphates of Mg and Be soluble in water?

Ans: The greater hydration enthalpies of Be2+ and Mg 2+ ions overcome the
lattice enthalpy factor and therefore their sulphates are soluble in water.

24. Why beryllium is not attacked by an acid easily?

Ans: Due to the presence of an oxide film on the beryllium metal, acids are less
likely to damage it.

25. Mention the main compounds which constitute Portland cement.

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 Ans: The main compounds present in Portland cement are- 26% of dicalcium
silicate (Ca 2SiO4 ) , 51% of tricalcium silicate (Ca3SiO5 ) and 11% of tricalcium
aluminate (Ca3Al2O5 ) .

26. What happens when gypsum is heated to 390 K ?

Ans: When gypsum is heated to 390 K , a compound named calcium sulphate

hemihydrates also known as plaster of Paris is formed.

2CaSO 4 .2H 2 O 

390 K
 (CaSO 4 ) 2 H 2O  3H 2O

27. Anhydrous calcium sulphate cannot be used as plaster of Paris. Give

reason.

Ans: The anhydrous calcium sulphate is used as drying agent by readily taking
up water. It cannot replace plaster of Paris because it does not have the same
setting and hardening property.

28. Mention the natural sources of calcium carbonate.

Ans: Calcium carbonate can be found in a variety of forms in nature, including

limestone, chalk, and marble.

29. What is milk of lime?

Ans: The term "milk of lime" refers to a slaked lime suspension in water.

30. What happens when CaCO3 is subjected to heat?

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 Ans: Calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) when heated produces calcium oxide also
called quick lime with carbon dioxide gas.

CaCO3 CaO  CO2

31. Show with an example that CaO is a basic oxide?

Ans: When calcium oxide ( CaO ) reacts with an acidic oxide at high temperature,
it yields salt.

CaO  SiO2  CaSiO3

6CaO  P4O10  2Ca 3 (PO4 )2

Short Answer Questions 2 Mark

1. Why are lithium halides covalent in nature?

Ans: Lithium halides are covalent in nature because of their high polarisation
capability. The Li + ion is relatively tiny and has a significant tendency to deform
the electron cloud surrounding the negative halide ion.

2. What makes lithium show properties different from rest of the alkali
metals?

Ans: Lithium is a small atom and it forms smaller Li + . As a result, it has very
high charge to radius ratio. This is primarily responsible for the anomalous
behaviour of lithium.

3. Why do alkali metals and salts impart colour to an oxidizing flame?

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 Ans: A colour is imparted to the oxidizing flame by alkali metals and salts
because the heat from the flame excites the outer orbital electron to a higher
energy level.

4. What type of oxide is made by sodium?

Ans: When sodium reacts with oxygen gas, an oxide known as sodium peroxide
( Na 2O 2 ) is obtained.

2Na  O2  Na 2O2

5. Why is potassium lighter than sodium?

Ans: Potassium is lighter than sodium due to an unusual increase in potassium's

atomic size.

6. Name the alkali metals that form super oxides when heated in excess of
air.

Ans: The alkali metals that form super oxides when heated with excess of air are:
potassium, rubidium and caesium.

7. Write a reaction to show that bigger cations stabilize bigger anions.

Ans: The reaction in which bigger cations stabilizes bigger anions is:

LiI  KF  LiF  KI

In the above reaction the bigger cation is K+ which stabilizes the bigger anion I 
.

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 8. Lithium shows similarities with magnesium in its chemical behaviour.
What is the cause of these similarities?

Ans: The cause of the similarities in the chemical behaviour of lithium and
magnesium are:

(i) The atomic size of both lithium and magnesium is same.

(ii) The charge to size ratio of lithium and magnesium is also same.

9. Why metals like potassium and sodium cannot be extracted by reduction

of their oxides by carbon?

Ans: Potassium and sodium are both strong electropositive metals with a much
higher affinity for oxygen than carbon. As a result, carbon reduction cannot be
used to remove them from their oxides.

10. Give the important uses of sodium carbonate.

Ans: The important uses of sodium carbonate are:

(i) Sodium carbonate is used in softening, laundering and cleaning.

(ii) Sodium carbonate is also used in the industrial manufacturing of glass,
soap, borax and caustic soda.

11. What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?

Ans: Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3 ) . While baking powder is a

mixture of sodium bicarbonate and potassium hydrogen tartrate.

12. Discuss the various reactions that occur in the Solvay process.

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 Ans: Solvay’s process is an industrial process for the manufacturing of sodium
carbonate from ammonia, limestone and brine. Following are the various steps
that occur in Solvay process:

2NH3  H 2O  CO 2  (NH 4 )CO3

(NH 4 )CO3  CO2  H 2O  2NH 4CHO3
NH 4 HCO3  NaCl  NH 4Cl  NaHCO3
2NaHCO3  Na 2CO3  CO 2  H 2O

13. Give two uses of sodium carbonate.

Ans: Sodium carbonate has two applications:

(i) It is used in the production of soap, glass, paper, borax, and caustic soda,
among other things.
(ii) It is used in both the textile and petroleum refining industries.

14. Solution of sodium carbonate is alkaline. Give reason.

Ans: The solution of sodium carbonate is alkaline in nature because when sodium
carbonate is treated with water, it gets hydrolyzed to form an alkaline solution.

CO32   H 2O  HCO3  OH 

15. Name the elements present in Group 2.

Ans: The elements present in group 2 of the periodic table are: Beryllium,
Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium and Radium.

16. The atomic radii of alkaline earth metals are smaller than those of the
corresponding alkali metals. Explain why?

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 Ans: Due to an increase in the nuclear charge of the components, the atomic and
ionic radii of the alkaline earth metals are smaller than those of the comparable
alkali metals in the same period.

17. The second ionization enthalpy of calcium is more than the first. How
does that calcium form CaCl2 and not CaCl give reasons.

Ans: The higher value of second ionization enthalpy is more than compensated
by the higher enthalpy of hydration of Ca 2+ . Therefore the formation of CaCl2
becomes more favourable than CaCl energetically.

18. Name the metal amongst alkaline earth metals whose salt do not impart
colour to a non-luminous flame.

Ans: Amongst the elements present in the alkaline earth metals, the metal whose
salt does not give colour to a non-luminous flame is beryllium.

19. Which member of the alkaline earth metals family has:

(i) Least reactivity
(ii) Lowest density
(iii) Highest boiling point
(iv) Maximum reduction potential

Ans: The members of the alkaline earth metals family having the given properties
are:

(i) Least reactivity: Beryllium is least reactive among the alkaline earth
metals.
(ii) Lowest density: Amongst the alkaline earth metals calcium has the lowest
density.

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 (iii) Highest boiling point: Beryllium is the only metal having highest boiling
point amongst the alkaline earth metals.
(iv) Maximum reduction potential: The only metal amongst the alkaline earth
metals having the maximum reduction potential is beryllium.

20. The alkaline earth metals are called s – block elements. Give reasons.

Ans: As the last electron in their electrical configuration occupies the s –orbital
of their valence shells, alkaline earth metals are known as s –block elements.

21. Why is Calcium preferred over sodium to remove last traces of moisture
from alcohol?

Ans: Both sodium and calcium form hydroxides when they react with water.
Calcium, on the other hand, does not react with alcohol to generate sodium
alkoxide.

22. Name the metal amongst alkaline earth metals whose salt do not impart
colour to a non – luminous flame.

Ans: Amongst the elements present in the alkaline earth metals, the metal whose
salt does not give colour to a non-luminous flame is beryllium.

23. Give the reaction of magnesium with air?

Ans: Magnesium reacts with oxygen present in the air and it produces a bright
light. The production of bright light is because the reaction is an exothermic
reaction and releases a lot of heat. As a result of an exothermic reaction,
magnesium donates two electrons to the oxygen atom thereby forming powdery
substance called magnesium oxide.

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 2Mg  O2  2MgO
3Mg  N 2  Mg3 N 2

24. Beryllium is reducing in nature. Why?

Ans: The significant hydration energy associated with the tiny size of the
beryllium ion and the comparatively large value of the metal's atomization
enthalpy contributes to the metal's reducing tendency.

25. Give two uses of:

(i) Caustic soda

Ans: Uses of Caustic soda:

(a) It is utilized in the production of soap, paper, synthetic silk, and a variety of
chemicals.
(b) It is utilized in petroleum refining and bauxite purification.
(ii) Quick lime

Ans: Uses of Quick Lime:

(a) It is utilized in the production of dyeing materials.

(b) It aids in the production of sodium carbonate from caustic soda.

26. What is quick lime? What happens when we add water to it?

Ans: Calcium oxide, known as quick lime, is an oxide of calcium. Slaked lime is
created when water is introduced to quick lime.

CaO(s)  H2O(l )  Ca(OH)2

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 27. What is the formula of caustic potash?

Ans: Caustic potash also known as potassium hydroxide is an inorganic

compound with a formula of KOH .

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