Strontium, barium, radium

Strontium, barium, and radium are much more rare than other Group 2 elements. They exhibit all the properties of Group 2 elements listed earlier but are less commonly found in nature or used by industry. 

Strontium was discovered by Irish chemist Adair Crawford in 1790 when he was studying the mineral witherite (BaCOg). But it s named after the Scottish village Strontian, where it was discovered in lead mines in 1787 it was not until 1808 that Sir Humphrey Davy isolated it for the first time. It was isolated using a mixture of strontium chloride and mercuric oxide in an electrolysis reaction. °Sr is formed in the nuclear fission of and 239pu unfortunately 

Radium was discovered by Marie Curie and her husband Pierre in 1898 while removing uranium from pitchblende. They noticed that the remaining material was still radioactive. It wasn t until 1910 when it was isolated as a pure metal Marie Curie and Andre-Louis Debieme achieved this by electrolysis. 

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With the exception of the ions in the first bulleted point, as well as strontium, barium, radium, and thallium positive ions, hydroxide ions form compounds that do not dissolve. 

The alkaline-earth metals beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, radium. 

Beryllium Magnesium Calcium Strontium Barium Radium... 

Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, Radium... 

Barium [7440-39-3] Ba, is a member of Group 2 (IIA) of the periodic table where it Hes between strontium and radium. Along with calcium and strontium, barium is classed as an alkaline earth metal, and is the densest of the three. Barium metal does not occur free in nature however, its compounds occur in small but widely distributed amounts in the earth s cmst, especially in igneous rocks, sandstone, and shale. The principal barium minerals are barytes [13462-86-7] (barium sulfate) and witherite [14941-39-0] (barium carbonate) which is also known as heavy spar. The latter mineral can be readily decomposed via calcination to form barium oxide [1304-28-5] BaO, which is the ore used commercially for the preparation of barium metal. 

Calcium, strontium, barium and radium, the alkaline earth metals proper, are the typical elements of the 2nd column (the 2nd group) of the Periodic Table. 

Beryllium and magnesium belong to the 2nd group of the Periodic Table together with calcium, strontium, barium and radium. Characteristic differences, however, may be noticed between the chemistry of Be and Mg and that of the alkaline earth s proper. Be has a unique chemical behaviour with a predominantly covalent character. The heavier elements (Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra) have a predominant ionic behaviour in their compounds. Mg has a chemistry in a way intermediate but closer to that of Be. Analogies between the Mg and Zn chemistries may also be underlined. 

Domanski T, Liniecki J, Wtkowska D. 1969. Kinetics of calcium, strontium, barium, and radium in rats. In Mays CW, Jee WSS, Lloyd RD, et al, eds. Delayed effects of bone-seeking radionuclides. Salt Lake City, UT University of Utah Press, 79-94. 

Harrison GE, Carr TEF, Sutton A. 1967. Distribution of radioactive calcium, strontium, barium and radium following intravenous injection into a healthy man. Int J Radiat Biol 13 235-247. 

Liniecki J. 1971. Kinetics of calcium, strontium, barium and radium in rabbits. Health Phys 21 367-376. 

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. 

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