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All of the Group 2
elements have two electrons in the outer
shell. They are all metals and bond
electrovalently.
When these metals
form electrovalent bonds they lose the two
electrons in the outer shell. The more
shells the atom has, the more reactive it
is. This is because the outer electron is
more easily lost from the outer shell.
These metals have been
known as « earths » since ancient times.
They were given this name because of their
abundance in the Earth’s crust. Group 2
metals are never found free in nature since
they are too reactive. They often occur as
their oxides, which is why they are
referred to as the alkaline earths.
Note: Radium is radioactive. It is only
found in very small quantities associated
with certain minerals, such as uranium
oxide or pitchblende.
Since alkali earth metals react in much the same way, the
examples given in this tutorial are those
of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). |
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