Group 2

• Atomic Radius


  • increases going down the group due to additional electron shells
• Reactivity


  • increased electron shielding down the group makes the outer electrons easier to lose
  • reactivity of group 2 metals increases going down the group
• Ionisation Energy


  • decreases due to a greater atomic radius and increased amounts of shielding
• Melting Point


  • metallic bonding
  • the larger the ions within the metallic structure, the weaker the attractive forces as the attractive force has to go over a much greater distance
  • therefore the MP decreases going down the group
• Reactions with water

  • produces a metal hydroxide and hydrogen

  (liquid water)

  
• Reactions with water (steam)

  • burns with a bright white flame to form hydrogen and magnesium oxide, a white powder

  
• Solubility of hydroxides


  • solubility increases going down the group
  • magnesium hydroxide is used for indigestion tablets
• Solubility of sulphates


  • decreases in solubility going down the group
  • barium sulphate is very useful in medicine as barium meals- a form of medical tracer that allows internal tissues and organs to be damaged
• Equations for sulphate ions

  The half equation is as follows

  
• Extraction of titanium


  • displacecment reaction
  • reducing agent

  
• Flue gas removal


  • calcium oxide reacts with sulfur dioxide to remove it from factory pollutants and prevent it from being released into the atmosphere
  • forms calcium sulfite and water