Alkaline earth metals

Syllabus
Alkaline Earth Metals : General characteristics.
Molecular formula and uses of (quick lime, bleaching powder, magnesia,
plaster of paris and Epsom salt.
Solubility of hydroxides, carbonates and sulphates of alkaline earth metals
(general trend with explanation).
Stability of carbonate and nitrate of alkaline earth metals (general trend with
explanation).
 Introduction
 The elements of group IIA in the periodic table (beryllium,
magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium) are alkaline
earth metals. They exist in +2 oxidation state and their EC is ns2.
 General Characteristic:
 1) Alkaline earth metals are reactive elements
nd not found in free state.
 2)They all are silvery white,malleable,ductile,
light metal and good conductor of heat and
electricity.
 3)They have low melting and boiling point but
higher than that of alkali metals.
 4)They have low density but higher than that of
alkali metals.
 5)Except Be and Mg they emit light on the flame. (Ca - brick red , Sr -
crimson red , Ba – apple green, and Ra- crimson).
 6)They have low first ionization energy but after loosing two
electrons, highly stable inert gas configuration is attained. Hence IE
will be very high. Second IE is higher than that of first.
 7) Action with air: Alkaline earth metals are tarnished when
exposed to air due to formation of oxides.
Mg + 2H2O → 2MgO
 8) Action with water: Be does not react with water. Mg reacts with
hot water. Ca, Ba and Sr react with cold water rapidly giving H2.
 9) Action with hydrogen: Alkali metals react with hydrogen at
high temperature forming meal hydrides.
Ca + H2 → CaH2
 10) Action with ammonia: All alkaline earth metals dissolve in
liquid ammonia forming ammoniated metal ions and ammoniated
electrons. The solution is bright blue in dilute and bronze in colored
at high concentration.
 The solution is good conductor of electricity. Evaporation of ammonia
solution gives hexammoniates of the metal which slowly decomposed to
give amide.
 M(NH3)6 → M(NH2)6 +4NH3 +H2
 Some important compounds of alkaline earth metal:
 Quick lime( CaO)
 Calcium oxide is commonly known as lime or burnt lime. It is called
chunna in Nepali.
 Uses:
 1) It is the chief constituent of cement, widely used building material.
 2) Lime used for manufacture of glass, bleaching powder, caustic soda,
calcium carbide, medicine, mortar, etc.
 3) It is used as refractory material for lining of furnace and making
bricks because of its high melting point.
 4) It is used as basic flux in metallurgy and softening of hard water.
 5) It is used in production of lime.
 6) It is used as drying agent. Eg: drying of ammonia gas.
 7) In agriculture, it is used to neutralize harmful acids in soil.
 Bleaching Powder:
 Its chemical name is calcium oxychloride or calcium chloro
hypochlorite Ca(ClO)Cl.
 Uses:
 1)It is used as bleaching agent in textile industry.
 2)It is used in the manufacture of chloroform (CHCl3).
 3) It is used for making wool unshrinkable and as oxidizing agent.
 4) It is used as germicide and disinfectant in the purification of water.

Magnesia:
 Magnesium oxide ( MgO) is commonly known as magnesia.
 Uses:
 1) Due to it’s high melting point, it used as fire brick in furnaces.
 2) It is used in medicine as anti-acid and laxative.
 3) It is used in making crucibles.
  Plaster of Paris:
 Plaster of Paris is calcium sulphate hemihydrate and is represented by
CaSO4. 1/2H2O or 2CaSO4. H2O.
 Uses:
 1) It is used in surgery for plastering (i.e. setting) the fractured bones.

2) It is used for making molds (casts) for statues and other decorative
materials like false ceiling.
 3) Used for making black board chalk and artificial marble.
 4) It is used as fire protection as it releases water vapour in fire and the
process is endothermic.
 Epsom Salt:
 Epsom salt is chemically magnesium sulphate heptahydrate ( MgSO4.
7H2O).
 Uses:
 1) It is used as a purgative (laxative) in medicine.
 2) It is used to correct magnesium and sulphur deficiency of soil.
 3) It is used to prepare fire proof fabrics.
 4) It is used in the manufacture of paint, soap, etc.
 Solubility of hydroxides, carbonates and sulphates of
alkaline earth metals:
 a) Solubility of hydroxide: Hydroxide of alkaline earth metals are
basic in nature and soluble in water. Solubility goes on increasing on
moving from top to bottom in the group. General solubility trend is;
 Ba(OH)2>Sr(OH)2>Ca((OH)2>Mg(OH)2> Be(OH)2.
 b) Solubility of carbonates: Solubility of carbonates of alkaline
earth metals decreases on moving down the group. General trend is;
 BeCO3>MgCO3>CaCO3>SrCO3>BaCO3
 c) Solubility of sulphates: Solubility of alkaline metal sulphates
decreases on moving down the group. Be and Mg sulphates are soluble
water. Ca sulphate is sparingly soluble. Sr and Ba sulphates are almost
insoluble. General trend of solubility is as follow;
 BeSO4 > MgSO4 > CaSO4 >SrSO4> BaSO4
 Stability of carbonates, nitrates and sulphates of alkaline
earth metals:
 a) Stability of carbonates: Group II metal carbonates are fairly
stable to heat and stability goes on increasing from top to bottom along
the group. This cab be understood from the following table;
Metal carbonates BeCO3 MgCO3 CaCO3 SrCO3 BaCO3
Dec. temp.(°C) <100 540 900 1290 1360

 b) Stability of nitrates: Group II metal nitrates are fairly stable to

heat. Thermal stability of metal nitrates increases down the group.
General trend of thermal stability of metal nitrates are;
 Be(NO3)< Mg(NO3) <Ca(NO3) <Sr(NO3) <Ba(NO3).
 c) Stability of sulphates:Gr II metal sulphates are fairly stable to
heat. More basic is the metal, more stable is the sulphate. Thermal
stability goes on increasing from top to bottom along the group. The
general trend is given in the table;
Metal Sulphates BeSO4 MgSO4 CaSO4 BaSO4 SrSO4
Dec. temp(°C) 500 895 1149 _ 1374