S BLOCK ELEMENTS

Synopsis
• Elements in which the last electron enters the s–orbital are called s–block elements. Thus,
elements of group 1 (alkali metals) and group 2 (alkaline earth metals) constitute s–block
elements.

Alkali MetalsMETALS
ALKALI
• General electronic configuration: ns1
• The elements of group 1 : Lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, caesium and francium besides
hydrogen.
• These elements are called alkali metals because they form hydroxides on reaction with water
which are strongly alkaline in nature.
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 Physical properties :
i) Alkali metals are soft with low melting and boiling points due to weak metallic bonding.
ii) Alkali metals have low density which increases down the group from Li to Cs.
iii) On exposure to moist air, all alkali metals except lithium get tarnished quickly so they are
always kept in kerosene to protect them from air.
iv) All alkali metals are paramagnetic but their salts are diamagnetic in nature.
v) Alkali metals and their compounds impart characteristic colour to the flame.

Li Na K Rb Cs
Crimson Golden Pale Reddish Sky
red yellow violet violet blue

vi) Due to large negative electrode potentials, alkali metals are strong reducing agents. Li is the
strongest reducing agent in solution due to its large heat of hydration.
vii) The alkali metals are good conductors of heat and electricity.
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 Chemical properties :
i) The alkali metals are highly reactive (most electropositive) elements due to their large size
and low value of ionisation enthalpy.
ii) Alkali metals decompose water with evolution of hydrogen.
2M + 2H2O  2M+ + 2OH– + H2
[ M = Alkali metal]
iii) Alkali metals combine directly with hydrogen to form metal hydrides (MH).
2M + H2  2M+H–
iv) Affinity towards oxygen increases when heated in atmosphere of oxygen.

M 
O2
 M2O 
O2
 M2O2 
O2
 MO2
Normal oxide Peroxide Superoxide
(Li2O) (Na2O2) (KO2, RbO2, CsO2)
.. ..
O2–  O : ]–
[– O – O –]2– [ : O 
Oxide Peroxide Superoxide
ion ion ion
The peroxides and superoxides become more stable with increase in atomic number of
the alkali metal.
v) The alkali metals directly react with halogens forming halides (MX) which are all soluble in
water except LiF.
vi) The low solubility of LiF is due to high lattice energy, whereas low solubility of CsI is due to
smaller hydration enthalpy of two ions.
vii) All the alkali metals form carbonates of type M2CO3. All carbonates are stable towards heat
except Li2CO3.

Li2CO3   Li2O + CO2

viii) Nitrates of the type MNO3, are known. All the nitrates decompose to nitrites and oxygen on
heating but LiNO3 decomposes to oxide with evolution of NO2 and O2.
ix) Alkali metals dissolve in liquid ammonia giving deep blue solutions (due to ammoniated
electron) which are conducting in nature.
M + (x + y)NH3  [M(NH3)x]+ + [e(NH3)y]–
x) Lithium shows anomalous properties due to its small size and high polarising power and
resembles magnesium (diagonal relationship) because of their similar sizes.
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 Some general trends of alkali metals and their compounds :
i) Electropositive character: Li < Na < K < Rb < Cs
ii) Hydration enthalpy: Li+ > Na+ > K+ > Rb+ > Cs+
iii) Solubility and basic character: LiOH < NaOH < KOH < RbOH < CsOH
iv) Reducing character : Na < K < Rb < Cs < Li
v) Stability of carbonates :
Li2CO3 < Na2CO3 < K2CO3 < Rb2CO3 < CS2CO3
vi) Stability of bicarbonates:
NaHCO3 < KHCO3 < RbHCO3 < CsHCO3 (LiHCO3 does not exist as a solid.)
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 Some important compounds of sodium :
i) Sodium carbonate (washing soda) : Na2CO3·10H2O is generally prepared by Solvay process
also called ammoniasoda process. The raw materials are NaCl, NH3 and limestone.
2NH3 + H2O + CO2  (NH4)2CO3
(NH4)2CO3 + H2O + CO2  2NH4HCO3
!
NH4HCO3 + NaCl  NH4Cl + NaHCO3
2NaHCO3  Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2
Solvay process cannot be employed for the manufacture of K2CO3 because KHCO3 is fairly
soluble in water.
ii) NaCl : Crude sodium chloride is generally obtained by crystallisation of brine solution, contains
Na2SO4; CaSO4 and impurities like MgCl2 and CaCl2 which are deliquescent (absorb moisture
easily from the atmosphere).
iii) NaOH : Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) is prepared commercially by the electrolysis of
sodium chloride in Castner– Kellner cell using a mercury cathode and a carbon anode.
iv) Sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda) :
NaHCO 3 is obtained by saturating a solutio n of
Na2CO3 with CO2. NaHCO3 being less soluble, gets separated out.
Na2CO3 + H2O + CO2  2NaHCO3
v) Biological importance of Na and K : Na+ ions (found outside the cells, in blood plasma and in
the interstitial fluids) participate in the transmission of nerve signals, in regulating the flow of
water across cell membranes and in the transport of sugars and amino acids into cells while
K+ ions (present within cell fluids) activate many enzymes, participate in the oxidation of
glucose to produce ATP and along with Na, are responsible for transmission of nerve signals.
Alkaline Earth EARTH
ALKALINE Metals METALS
• General electronic configuration : ns2
• The elements of group 2 : Beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium
which is radioactive.
• These elements are called alkaline earth metals because their oxides and hydroxides are alkaline
in nature and these metal oxides are found in the earth's crust.
 Physical properties :
i) All are silvery white, lustrous and relatively soft but harder than the alkali metals.
ii) The melting and boiling points are quite low but higher than the corresponding alkali metals
due to smaller sizes.
iii) Except Be and Mg, othter alkaline earth metals impart a characteristic colour to the flame.

Ca Sr Ba
Brick red Crimson Apple green

iv) They act as reducing agents. Reducing nature increases from Be to Ba as the ionisation potentials
and oxidation potentials decrease from Be to Ba.
v) They have high thermal and electrical conductivities.
vi) Divalent ions have noble gas configurations with no unpaired electrons, their compounds are
colourless and diamagnetic. The metals are also diamagnetic in nature.
 Chemical properties :
i) Alkaline earth metals are quite reactive elements due to their low ionisation potentials.
ii) Be does not decompose water. Mg decomposes hot water. Ca, Sr and Ba react with cold water,
liberating H2 gas.
iii) Except Be, alkaline earth metals are easily tarnished in air as a layer of oxide is formed on their
surface.
iv) All the alkaline earth metals combine with halogen at elevated temperatures forming their
halides.
M + X2  MX2 (X = F, Cl, Br, I)
v) Except Be, all alkaline earth metals combine directly with H2 and form hydrides of the type
MH2.
BeH2 is prepared by the reaction,
2BeCl2 + LiAlH4  2BeH2 + LiCl + AlCl3
It is a polymeric hydride (BeH2)n, and possesses hydrogen bridges (two electrons–three centre
bonds).
vi) Like alkali metals, alkaline earth metals react with acids and displace hydrogen.
M + 2HCl  MCl2 + H2
vii) Mg, Ca, Sr when burnt in oxygen form oxides of the type MO. Ba and Ra, being highly
electropositive, form peroxides, MO2.

 BaO   BaO2

viii) Alkaline earth metals form nitrates of the type M(NO3)2. Nitrates decompose on heating into
corresponding oxides with evolution of a mixture of NO2 and O2.
2M(NO3)2  2MO + 4NO2 + O2
(M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba)
ix) Alkaline earth metals dissolve in liquid ammonia to give deep blue black solutions, forming
ammoniated ions.
M + (x + y)NH3  [M(NH3)x]2+ + 2[e(NH3)y]–
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 Some general trends in alkaline earth metals and their compounds:
i) Hydration enthalpy :
Be2+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > Sr2+ > Ba2+
ii) Reducing character :
Be < Mg < Ca < Sr < Ba < Ra
iii) Solubility, thermal stability and basic character of hydroxides:
Mg(OH)2 < Ca(OH)2 < Sr(OH)2 < Ba(OH)2
iv) Solubility of carbonates :
BeCO3 > MgCO3 > CaCO3 > SrCO3 > BaCO3
v) Stability and ionic character of carbonates :
BeCO3 < MgCO3 < CaCO3 < SrCO3 < BaCO3
vi) Solubility of sulphates :

SrSO 4 > BaSO 4

vii) Beryllium shows anomalous behaviour in the group (due to exceptionally small atomic and
ionic size, high ionization enthalpy and absence of d–orbital in the valence shell) and resembles
aluminium (diagonal relationship).
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 Some important compounds of calcium :
I. Quick lime: CaO is prepared on a commercial scale by heating limestone (CaCO3) at 1070–
1270 K in a rotary kiln.
heat

CaCO3  CaO + CO2
On adding water, quick lime gives a hissing sound and forms calcium hydroxide, known as
slaked lime.
CaO + H2O  Ca(OH)2
A suspension of slaked lime in water is called milk of lime while the filtered and clear solution
is known as lime water. Chemically both are Ca(OH)2.
Quick lime is used for making caustic soda, bleaching powder, calcium carbide, mortar,
cement, glass, dye stuffs and purification of sugar.
II. Gypsum: CaSO4·2H2O when heated at 393 K, loses three–fourth of its water of crystallisation
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and forms hemihydrate (CaSO4. H O) known as Plaster of Paris.
2 2
2(CaSO4·2H2O)  2(CaSO4)·H2O + 3H2O
It becomes anhydrous above 393 K and anhydrous CaSO4 is called dead burnt plaster.
• Plaster of Paris has the property of setting to a hard mass when a paste with water is
allowed to stand aside. Slight expansion occurs during setting as water is absorbed to reform
CaSO4·2H2O.
III. Cement is a dirty greyish heavy powder containing calcium silicates and aluminates and is an
important building material. Cement consists of tricalcium silicate, 3CaO·SiO2, dicalcium
silicate, 2CaO·SiO2, tricalcium aluminate, 3CaO·Al 2O3, and tetracalcium alumino–ferrite,
4CaO·Al2O3·Fe2O3 .
• The average composition of Portland cement is CaO (50–60%), SiO2 (20–25%), Al2O3 (5–10%),
MgO (2–3%), Fe2O3 (1–2%) and SO3 (1–2%).
• Cement sets into a hard mass when mixed with water and gypsum is added to slow down the
process of setting so that it gets sufficiently hardened.
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 Biological importance of Mg and Ca : Mg acts as the cofactor for the enzymes that utilise ATP
in phosphate transfer and is present in chlorophyll while Ca is present in bones and teeth,
plays important role in neuromuscular function, interneuronal transmission, cell membrane
integrity and blood coagulation.