Group 2, the Alkaline Earth Metals

The Group 2 elements are the metals in the second group of the Periodic Table. They are therefore s-block
elements in which the outermost electrons are in a full s sub-shell.

Trends in Physical Properties

Some important physical properties of the Group 2 elements Mg-Ba are given below:

Element Electron configuration Atomic radius /nm First ionisation energy /kJ mol-1 Melting point /K
Mg [Ne]3s2 0.136 737 924
Ca 0.174 590 1116
Sr [Kr]5s2 0.191 549 1042
Ba 0.198 503 998

Atomic Radius

On descending the group from Beryllium to Barium, the

atomic radii increase. This trend is due to…

First Ionisation Energy

The first ionisation energies of the elements decrease down the group as…

Melting Points

The Group 2 elements are metals with high melting

points (see graph to the right). In metallic structures,
the positive ions (cations, M2+ in this group) are
surrounded by a ‘sea’ of outermost electrons. There are
two of these delocalised electrons for each M2+ ion. As
the metal ions become larger going down the group,
the strength of the metallic bonds generally decreases,
because the decreasing density of charge (or charge-to-
size ratio) of the ions means that there is less attraction
for the delocalised electrons. The expected general
decrease in melting points from calcium to strontium can be seen. Magnesium has a lower melting point
than expected because it has a different crystal structure from the other metals.
Trends in chemical properties

Reactions with water

Metal Observations Equation

Mg

Ca

Sr

Ba

The solubility of hydroxides

The solubility of the hydroxides of Group 2 elements increases on descending the group. Magnesium
hydroxide is only sparingly soluble in water. Calcium hydroxide dissolves to form ‘lime water’, but is not as
soluble as strontium hydroxide, while barium hydroxide is soluble with water and produces strongly
alkaline solutions:

Uses of magnesium and calcium hydroxides

Magnesium hydroxide is used as an antacid for the relief of indigestion caused by an excess of acid in the
stomach:

It also acts as a laxative and is used to relief constipation. It is taken orally either as chewable tablets or in a
suspension often called ‘milk of magnesia’.

Calcium hydroxide is used by farmers to reduce soil acidity, so that a wider range of crops can be grown,
and to provide calcium ions which are essential for plant growth. The ‘lime’ used by farmers is often a
mixture of calcium carbonate together with calcium hydroxide.

The solubility of sulfates

The solubility of sulfates of Group 2 elements decreases from the soluble magnesium sulfate to the
insoluble barium sulfate. In the laboratory, the insolubility of barium sulfate is used as a test for the
presence of sulfate ions in solution. Dilute acid (hydrochloric or nitric) and a solution of barium ions (from
barium chloride or barium nitrate) are added to the solution under test and the appearance of a white
precipitate indicates the presence of sulfate ions:
In the absence of acids, carbonate ions interfere with this test because barium chloride is also white solid,
insoluble in water. The carbonate ions are removed by adding either hydrochloric or nitric acid. The acid
reacts with the carbonate ions to generate carbon dioxide gas, thereby removing them from solution and
preventing the precipitation of barium carbonate:

Summary of trends

Use of barium sulfate in medicine

Because barium sulfate blocks X-rays and is not toxic (as it is so insoluble in water or body fluids), it is used
in medicine to aid the investigation of problems in digestive and bowel systems. An aqueous suspension of
barium sulfate is taken orally, if an image of the digestive system is required, or injected through the anus,
if images of the bowel region are needed.

Use of magnesium in the extraction of titanium

Titanium is an important metal, as it has a low density, is strong and corrosion-resistant. However, it must
be very pure in order for these properties to be achieved. Extraction methods such as reduction with
carbon or electrolysis are not suitable

Titanium ore is purified, and the titanium oxide is converted into titanium chloride:

Magnesium or sodium can be used as a reducing agent in the extraction process.

The extraction of titanium is a very costly process, due to: