Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, and Barium

Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium and Radium 

The Group 2 or alkaline earth metals exemplify and continue the trends in properties noted for the alkali metals. No new principles are involved, but the ideas developed in the preceding chapter gain empha.sis and clarity by their further application and extension. Indeed, there is an impressively close parallelism between the two groups as will become increasingly clear throughout the chapter. 

The discovery of beryllium in 1798 followed an unusual train of events. The mineralogist R.-J. Haiiy had observed the remarkable similarity in external crystalline structure, hardness and density of a beryl from Limoges and an emerald from Peru, and suggested to L.-N. Vauquelin that he should analyse them to see if they were chemically identical. As a result, Vauquelin showed 

Both beryl and emerald were found to be essentially Be3Al2Si O g, the only difference between them being that emerald also contains 2% Cr, the source of its green colour. The combining weight of Be was 4.7 but the similarity (diagonal relation) between Be and 

The discovery of beryllium in 1798 followed an unusual train of events.The mineralogist 

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Beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium constitute Group 2 in the Periodic Table. These elements (or simply the Ca, Sr, and Ba triad) are often called alkaline-earth metals. Some important properties of group 2 elements are summarized in Table 12.5.1. 

Alkali metals lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium. Metals such as sodium and potassium (the alkali metals) react violently with water—too violently to conduct experiments. The group 2 metals (also called alkaline earth metals) react less readily and can be used in the laboratory. Alkaline earth metals, including beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. 

In previous arrangements of the Periodic Table see Periodic Table Trends in the Properties of the Elements), the elements beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium were referred to as members of Group Ila, or 2A. As inclusion of the word metaT in their title implies, these elements are both malleable and extrudable however, they are rather brittle. They are electrical conductors. When pure, all except the lightest, beryllium, react with atmospheric... 

The second column from the left contains the alkaline earth metals, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra, respectively). Magnesium and calcium are present everywhere and are needed by our salty bodies and the salty bodies of our fellow creatures. Calcium is vital to bones, teeth, seashells, and exoskeletons. Calcium plays a critical role in the operation of our muscles as well as communication between cells. Because strontium is in this family, radioactive strontium, a fission product of certain atomic reactions, can be absorbed by the body and used as it would use calcium. Radium, another radioactive element, is also found in this family. 

Beryllium is the lightest member of the alkaline earth metals family. These metals make up Group 2 (IIA) of the periodic table. They include beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. Elements in the same column of the periodic table have similar chemical properties. The periodic table is a chart that shows how the chemical elements are related to each other. 

The alkaline earths, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium, together constitute Group 2 of the periodic table. They are usually found in relatively un-reactive forms, bound to oxygen the free metals still have a tendency to lose their outer electrons, but less easily than the Group 1 elements, and are a little less reactive. 

Figure 3.1 Group 2 of the periodic table comprises the alkaline earth metals beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.

Group 2 of the periodic table contains the alkaline earth metals beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. These elements are similar to the alkali metals in that they are shiny, ductile, and malleable. The alkaline earth metals have two electrons in their outermost shell. Although they are not as reactive as the alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals are rarely found pure in nature. 

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