10.

Group 2
Melting points
Down the group the melting points decrease. The
Atomic radius
metallic bonding weakens as the atomic size
Atomic radius increases down the Group.
increases. The distance between the positive ions and
As one goes down the group, the atoms have more
delocalized electrons increases. Therefore the
shells of electrons making the atom bigger.
electrostatic attractive forces between the positive
ions and the delocalized electrons weaken.

1st ionisation energy

The outermost electrons are held more weakly because they are successively further from the nucleus
in additional shells.
In addition, the outer shell electrons become more shielded from the attraction of the nucleus by the
repulsive force of inner shell electrons

Group 2 reactions Reactivity of group 2 metals increases down the group

Reactions with oxygen.
Mg will also react slowly with oxygen without a flame.
The group 2 metals will burn in oxygen. Mg ribbon will often have a thin layer of magnesium oxide on it
Mg burns with a bright white flame. formed by reaction with oxygen.
2Mg + O2  2MgO 2Mg + O2  2MgO
This needs to be cleaned off by emery paper before doing
MgO is a white solid with a high melting reactions with Mg ribbon.
point due to its ionic bonding. If testing for reaction rates with Mg and acid, an un-cleaned Mg
ribbon would give a false result because both the Mg and MgO
would react but at different rates.
Mg + 2HCl  MgCl2 + H2
MgO + 2HCl  MgCl2 + H2O

Reactions with water.

Magnesium burns in steam to produce Mg will also react with warm water, giving a different
magnesium oxide and hydrogen. The Mg magnesium hydroxide product.
would burn with a bright white flame. Mg + 2 H2O  Mg(OH)2 + H2
Mg (s) + H2O (g)  MgO (s) + H2 (g) This is a much slower reaction than the reaction with
steam and there is no flame.

Make sure you learn the difference between the reaction of

Magnesium with steam and that of warm water
The hydroxides produced make the water alkaline
(if they are soluble in water)
The other group 2 metals will react with cold water with One would observe:
increasing vigour down the group to form hydroxides.
fizzing, (more vigorous down group)
Ca + 2 H2O (l) Ca(OH)2 (aq) + H2 (g)
the metal dissolving, (faster down group)
Sr + 2 H2O (l) Sr(OH)2 (aq) + H2 (g)
the solution heating up (more down group)
Ba + 2 H2O (l) Ba(OH)2 (aq) + H2 (g)
and with calcium a white precipitate
appearing (less precipitate forms down
group)

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Reactions with acid
If Barium metal is reacted with sulphuric acid it will
only react slowly as the insoluble Barium sulphate
The group 2 metals will react with acids with increasing vigour produced will cover the surface of the metal and
down the group to form a salt and hydrogen act as a barrier to further attack.
Ba + H2SO4  BaSO4 + H2
Ca + 2HCl (aq) CaCl2 (aq) + H2 (g) The same effect will happen to a lesser extent with
Sr + 2 HNO3 (aq) Sr(NO3)2 (aq) + H2 (g) metals going up the group as the solubility
increases.
Mg + H2SO4 (aq) MgSO4 (aq) + H2 (g) The same effect does not happen with other acids
like hydrochloric or nitric as they form soluble
group 2 salts.

Reactions of the Oxides of Group 2 elements with water

Group 2 ionic oxides react with water to form hydroxides
The ionic oxides are basic as the oxide ions accept protons to become hydroxide ions in this
reaction (acting as a bronsted lowry base)
MgO (s) + H2O (l)  Mg(OH)2 (s) pH 9
Mg(OH)2 is only slightly soluble in water so fewer free OH- ions are produced and so lower pH
CaO (s) + H2O (l)  Ca(OH)2 (aq) pH 12

Reactions of the Oxides of Group 2 elements Reactions of the hydroxides of Group 2

with Acids elements with Acids
MgO (s) + 2 HCl (aq)  MgCl2 (aq) + H2O (l)
2HNO3 (aq) + Mg(OH)2 (aq)  Mg(NO3)2 (aq) + 2H2O (l)
SrO (s) + 2 HCl (aq)  SrCl2 (aq) + H2O (l) 2HCl (aq) + Mg(OH)2 (aq)  MgCl2 (aq) + 2H2O (l)
CaO (s) + H2SO4 (aq)  CaSO4 (aq) + H2O (l)

Reactions of the carbonates of Group 2

elements with Acids
MgCO3 (s) + 2 HCl (aq)  MgCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
SrCO3 (s) + 2 HCl (aq)  SrCl2 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
CaCO3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq)  CaSO4 (aq) + CO2 (g) + H2O (l)

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Thermal decomposition of Group 2 carbonates
Thermal decomposition is defined as the use of
Group 2 carbonates decompose on heating to produce group
heat to break down a reactant into more than one
2 oxides and carbon dioxide gas.
product
MgCO3(s)  MgO(s) + CO2(g)
CaCO3(s)  CaO(s) + CO2(g) The ease of thermal decomposition
decreases down the group
Group 2 carbonates are more thermally stable as you go down the
group. As the cations get bigger they have less of a polarising effect
and distort the carbonate ion less. The C-O bond is weakened less so
it less easily breaks down

Group 1 carbonates do not decompose with the exception of Lithium. As

they only have +1 charges they don’t have a big enough charge density to
polarise the carbonate ion. Lithium is the exception because its ion is small
enough to have a polarising effect

Li2CO3(s)  Li2O(s) + CO2(g)

There are a number of experiments that can be done to investigate the ease
of decomposition.
One is to heat a known mass of carbonate in a side arm boiling tube and pass lime water
the gas produced through lime water. Time for the first permanent
cloudiness to appear in the limewater. Repeat for different carbonates using
the same moles of carbonate/same volume of limewater/same Bunsen flame
and height of tube above flame.

Heat

Thermal decomposition of Group 2 Nitrates

Group 2 nitrates decompose on heating to produce group 2
oxides, oxygen and nitrogen dioxide gas.
2Mg(NO3)2 → 2MgO + 4NO2 + O2
You would observe brown gas evolving (NO2) and the White
The ease of thermal decomposition
nitrate solid is seen to melt to a colourless solution and then
decreases down the group
resolidify

The explanation for change in thermal stability is the same as for carbonates
Magnesium nitrate decomposes the easiest because the Mg 2+ ion is smallest and has the greater charge density. It
causes more polarisation of the nitrate anion and weakens the N―O bond

Group 1 nitrate do not decompose in the same way as group 2 with the
exception of Lithium nitrate. They decompose to give a Nitrate (III) salt
and oxygen.

2NaNO3 → 2NaNO2 + O2
Lithium nitrate decomposes in the same
Sodium Sodium way as group 2 nitrates
Nitrate(V) Nitrate(III)
4 LiNO3 → 2Li2O + 4NO2 + O2

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 Solubility of Hydroxides
Group II hydroxides become more soluble down the group.
All Group II hydroxides when not soluble appear as white precipitates.

Magnesium hydroxide is classed as insoluble in water. Calcium hydroxide is classed as partially soluble
in water and will appear as a white precipitate It
Simplest Ionic Equation for formation of Mg(OH)2 (s)
is used in agriculture to neutralise acidic soils.
Mg2+ (aq) + 2OH-(aq)  Mg(OH)2 (s).
A suspension of calcium hydroxide in water will
A suspension of magnesium hydroxide in water will appear appear more alkaline (pH 11) than magnesium
slightly alkaline (pH 9) so some hydroxide ions must therefore hydroxide as it is more soluble so there will be
have been produced by a very slight dissolving. more hydroxide ions present in solution.
Magnesium hydroxide is used in medicine (in suspension as milk An aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide is
of magnesia) to neutralise excess acid in the stomach and to called lime water and can be used a test for
treat constipation. carbon dioxide. The limewater turns cloudy as
white calcium carbonate is produced.
Mg(OH)2 + 2HCl  MgCl2 + 2H2O
Ca(OH)2 (aq) + CO2 (g)  CaCO3 (s) + H2O(l)
It is safe to use because it is so weakly alkaline. It is preferable to
using calcium carbonate as it will not produce carbon dioxide
gas. Barium hydroxide would easily dissolve in
water. The hydroxide ions present would
make the solution strongly alkaline.
Solubility of Sulphates Ba(OH)2 (S) + aq  Ba2+ (aq) + 2OH-(aq)

Group II sulphates become less soluble down the group.

BaSO4 is the least soluble.

An equation for the formation of the precipitate can be written as a full equation or simplest ionic equation
Full equation : SrCl2(aq) + Na2SO4 (aq)  2NaCl (aq) + SrSO4 (s)
Ionic equation: Sr2+ (aq) + SO42-(aq)  SrSO4 (s).

BaSO4 is used in medicine as a ‘Barium meal’ given to patients who need x-rays of their intestines. The Barium absorbs
the x-rays and so the gut shows up on the x-ray image. Even though Barium compounds are toxic it is safe to use here
because of its low solubility.

If Barium metal is reacted with sulphuric acid it will only react slowly as the insoluble Barium sulphate produced will
cover the surface of the metal and act as a barrier to further attack.
Ba + H2SO4  BaSO4 + H2
The same effect will happen to a lesser extent with metals going up the group as the solubility increases.
The same effect does not happen with other acids like hydrochloric or nitric as they form soluble group 2 salts.

Testing for Presence of a Sulphate ion

BaCl2 solution acidified with hydrochloric acid is used as a reagent to test for
Other anions should give a negative
sulphate ions.
result which is no precipitate
If acidified Barium Chloride is added to a solution that contains sulphate ions a forming.
white precipitate of Barium Sulphate forms.

Simplest ionic equation

Ba2+ (aq) + SO42-(aq)  BaSO4 (s).

The hydrochloric acid is needed to react with carbonate impurities that are often found in salts which would form
a white Barium carbonate precipitate and so give a false result. You could not used sulphuric acid because it
contains sulphate ions and so would give a false positive result.

2HCl + Na2CO3  2NaCl + H2O + CO2 Fizzing due to CO2 would be observed if a carbonate was present.

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Explaining trends in solubility

Hydroxides energy
Group 2 hydroxides become more soluble down the group.
This can be explained by changes in the lattice enthalpy and hydration
enthalpy hydration

Lattice enthalpy drops down the group because the cations lattice
get bigger leading to a weaker ionic attraction
Water molecules are more strongly attracted to smaller ions with a
larger charge. Mg Ca Sr Ba Ra

Hydration enthalpy drops because the cations becomes bigger and For magnesium hydroxide the lattice enthalpy
less polarising so they attract the water molecules less. is larger than the hydration enthalpy leading
to an endothermic enthalpy of solution which
The hydroxides become more soluble because the lattice makes it less likely to dissolve
enthalpy drops more than the hydration enthalpy
For barium hydroxide the lattice enthalpy is
smaller than the hydration enthalpy leading
to an exothermic enthalpy of solution which
makes it more likely to dissolve

Sulfates energy
Group 2 sulfates become less soluble down the group.
This can be explained by same changes in the lattice enthalpy and lattice
hydration enthalpy as the above case
hydration
Lattice enthalpy drops down the group because the cations
get bigger leading to a weaker ionic attraction. The key
difference between sulfates and hydroxides is the sulfate ion is
much larger than the metal ions (and hydroxide ion). The Mg Ca Sr Ba Ra
decreasing size of the cation has less of an effect in this case
and the lattice enthalpy falls less going down the group For magnesium sulfate the lattice enthalpy is
Water molecules are more strongly attracted to smaller ions with a smaller than the hydration enthalpy leading
larger charge. to an exothermic enthalpy of solution which
makes it more likely to dissolve
Hydration enthalpy drops because the cations becomes bigger and
less polarising so they attract the water molecules less. For barium sulfate the lattice enthalpy is
larger than the hydration enthalpy leading to
The hydroxides become less soluble because the lattice an endothermic enthalpy of solution which
enthalpy drops less than the hydration enthalpy makes it less likely to dissolve

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 More on Insoluble salts and Precipitation reactions

Insoluble salts can be made by mixing appropriate solutions of ions so that a precipitate is formed
Barium nitrate (aq) + sodium sulphate (aq)  Barium Sulphate (s) + sodium nitrate (aq)
These are called precipitation reactions. A precipitate is a solid

There are some common rules for solubility of salts. No syllabus requires these to be learnt but a good
chemist does know them.
Soluble salts Insoluble salts
All sodium, potassium and ammonium salts
All nitrates
Most chlorides, bromides, iodides Silver, lead chlorides, bromides iodides
Most sulphates Lead sulphate strontium and barium sulphate
Sodium, potassium and ammonium Most other carbonates
carbonates
Sodium, potassium and ammonium Most other hydroxides
hydroxides

When making an insoluble salt, normally the salt would be removed by filtration, washed with distilled
water to remove soluble impurities and then dried on filter paper
Filtration
Filter
paper Buchner
residue
funnel
Filter Filter paper
funnel
Buchner flask (has Air outlet to
thicker glass walls than water pump
a normal flask to cope
filtrate with the vacuum )

This is gravitational filtration. Use This is vacuum filtration. The apparatus is

if small amounts of solid are connected to a water pump which will
formed. produce a vacuum. Use if larger amounts of
solid are formed.

Writing Ionic equations for precipitation reactions

We usually write ionic equations to show precipitation Spectator ions are ions that are
reactions. Ionic equations only show the ions that are • Not changing state
reacting and leave out spectator ions. • Not changing oxidation number

Take full equation Ba(NO3)2 (aq) + Na2SO4 (aq)  BaSO4 (s) + 2 NaNO3 (aq)

Separate (aq) solutions into Ba2+(aq) + 2NO3-(aq) + 2Na+ (aq)+ SO42-(aq)  BaSO4(s) + 2 Na+(aq)+ 2NO3- (aq)
ions

Cancel out spectator ions leaving

Ba2+ (aq) + SO42-(aq)  BaSO4 (s).
the simplest ionic equation

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