![]() When they react with water, they form the hydroxide and hydrogen gas. They exist almost exclusively in the +2 oxidation state. These elements have fairly similar chemistries. List of all Alkaline Earth Metalsīeryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium. Barium is more reactive than the other metals, because the 2s orbital electrons that it loses are further away from the nucleus, and therefore more easily removed. Beryllium does not react with water, magnesium reacts with steam, calcium reacts slowly with cold water, and strontium and barium more quickly. ![]() The reactivity of the alkaline earth metal increases as you move down the column. Beryllium is significantly rarer in the crust than the other 4 non-radioactive metals. Magnesium and calcium are quite abundant in both the earth’s crust and in sea water. Calcium is the lightest, and radium is the densest. They are generally softer and less dense than transition metals. They all have significantly higher melting points than the alkali metals. Properties of Alkaline Earth Metalsīeing in the second group, all of the alkaline earth elements have 2 electrons in their outer electron shell, in the s orbital. Their investigation of the radioactivity of radium as well as the post-transition metal polonium, earned the Curies a share in the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics. Marie Curie and her husband Pierre made the discovery of radium much later in 1898. His fellow Frenchman Antoine Bussy and German chemist Friedrich Wöhler isolated the metallic form independently of one another in 1828. He formed amalgams of the metals with mercury using electrolysis, then distilled off most of the mercury.įrench scientist Nicolas-Louis Vauquelin discovered Beryllium in its oxide form in 1798. Discovery of Alkaline Earth MetalsĪn English chemist named Sir Humphry Davy isolated magnesium, calcium, barium, and strontium in 1808. Oil well drilling fluid includes barium sulfate, and geochemists can use barium chloride to determine the concentration of sulfate ions in water samples. The ratio of its different isotopes in teeth can tell archeologists about the diet of ancient humans. ![]() Strontium gives fireworks their red color. It also plays an essential role in many biological processes including photosynthesis (as a component of chlorophyll) and enzymatic reactions in the human body (as a cofactor).Ĭalcium is essential for strong bones in the body and is found in calcite and aragonite, important minerals involved in earth’s carbon cycle. Magnesium metal is in sparklers, and is marketed in different forms as Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide). Fighter jet planes, internal guidance systems, and some race cars use beryllium or its alloys for their low density. Natural Occurrence and Uses of Alkaline Earth Metalsīeryllium is a very light metal found in the minerals beryl and emerald. Radium is not shown, and barium and strontium are are immersed in oil to prevent them from reacting with the atmosphere. Five of the six known alkaline earth metals. Early scientists called these compounds “earths” because they remain solid in a fire and are insoluble in water. The name “alkaline earth” comes from the their oxides, the alkaline earths. Most are commonly found in nature, but not in their elemental form. They are all silvery-white, shiny metals that are fairly reactive, although not as reactive as the alkali metals. The alkaline earth metals are the elements in the second group of the periodic table, starting with beryllium and ending with radium.
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