Chapter 8 - Reactivity Trends Flashcards
(65 cards)
What are the elements in group 2 found as?
They are found in stable compounds and are reactive metals
How many outer shell electrons do group 2 elements have?
Two outer shell electrons
Which sub-shell are the outer electrons in group 2 atoms in?
The outer s sub-shell
What is the most common type of reaction of group 2 elements?
Redox reactions
What happens to group 2 elements during a redox reaction?
- the metal is oxidised, loosing 2 electrons
- another species will gain these 2 electrons and be reduced
- this makes the group 2 element a reducing agent
What happens when group 2 elements react with oxygen?
A metal oxide is formed with the general formula of MO (M being the group 2 metal)
What is the equation for the formation of magnesium oxide?
2Mg (s) + O2 (g) -> 2MgO (s)
What is oxidised and reduced when magnesium oxide is formed?
Mg is oxidised: 0 -> +2
O is reduced: 0 -> -2
What happens when group 2 elements react with water?
An alkaline hydroxide with the general formula M(OH)2 and hydrogen gas are formed
What happens to reactivity going down group 2?
Reactivity increases
What is the reaction between Sr and water?
Sr (s) + 2H2O (l) -> Sr(OH)2 (aq) + H2 (g)
What happens when group 2 metals react with dilute acids?
Group 2 metal + dilute acid -> salt + hydrogen
What is the reaction between magnesium and dilute hydrochloric acid?
Mg (s) + 2HCl (aq) -> MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)
Why does the reactivity increase going down group 2?
- the atoms of group 2 elements react by loosing electrons to form +2 ions
- this requires the input of 2 ionisation energies (first and second)
- the ionisation energies decrease down the group because the attraction between the nucleus and the outer electrons decreases as a result of increasing atomic radius and increasing shielding
What happens when group 2 oxides react with water?
- hydroxide ions and ions of the metal are released, forming an alkaline solution of the metal hydroxide
- the group 2 hydroxides are only slightly soluble in water
- when the solution becomes saturated, any further metal and hydroxide ions will form a solid precipitate
What happens to the solubility of group 2 hydroxides going down the group?
- The solubility increases down the group
- the resulting solutions contain more hydroxide ions and are more alkaline
How can you experimentally show the trend in solubility of hydroxides?
- add a spatula of each group 2 oxide to water in a test tube
- shake the mixture
- you will have a saturated solution of each metal hydroxide with some white solid undissolved at the bottom of the test tube
- measure the pH of each solution
How are group 2 compounds used in agriculture?
Calcium hydroxide is added to fields as lime by farmers to increase the pH of acidic soils
The calcium hydroxide neutralises acid in the soil, forming neutral water
How are group 2 compounds used in medicine?
Group 2 bases are often used as antacids for treating acid indigestion
Stomach acid is mainly hydrochloric acid, which can be neutralised by group 2 bases
How do the halogens naturally occur?
They naturally occur as stable halide ions dissolved in sea water/combined with sodium or pottasium
They are the most reactive non-metallic group and the elements do not occur in their elemental form naturally
What type of molecules are the halogens at RTP?
They exist as diatomic molecules
How do the physical states of the elements change going down the group?
They change from gas to liquid to solid
What is the structure of halogens in their solid states?
The halogens form lattices with simple molecular structures
What is fluorine’s appearance and state at RTP?
Pale yellow gas