Alkaline Earth Metals
By Tanner Bryant
Alkaline
The alkaline earth metals are a group of chemical reactions in the periodic table with very similar properties.
Main elements in Alkaline metals
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with symbol Mg and atomic number 12. Its common oxidation number is +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth-most-abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole.
Calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with symbol Ca and atomic number 20. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust.
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with symbol Ra and atomic number 88. It is the sixth element in group 2 of the periodic table, also known as the alkaline earth metals.
Facts about Alkaline Metals
- They are silvery, shiny, and relatively soft metals.
- They are fairly reactive under standard conditions.
- They have two outer valence electrons which they readily lose.
- They all occur in nature, but are only found in compounds and minerals, not in their elemental forms.
- They react with halogens to form compounds called halides.
- All of them except beryllium react strongly with water.
- They tend to form ionic bonds, except for beryllium which forms covalent bonds.