All of the alkaline earth metals except beryllium and magnesium also react with water to produce hydrogen gas and their respective hydroxides (magnesium will react with steam, however). Ionization energy increases across a row on the periodic maximum for the noble gases which have closed shells. Moreover: Ionization energy is lowest for the alkali metals which have a single electron outside a closed shell.

As a result, they are not found in nature in their elemental state.Īll but one of the alkaline earth metals react with the halogens ( chlorine, fluorine etc.) to form ionic compounds (beryllium chloride is the exception, because the bonding is covalent). Therefore the electronegativity is greatest at the top-right of the periodic table and decreases toward the bottom-left. The alkaline earth metals make up group 2 of the periodic table, from. Hydrogen is group 1 but exhibits few characteristics of a metal and is often categorized with the nonmetals. Every element in this family has one valence electron that they will lose in order to achieve a pseudo-noble gas configuration. Alkali metals are named such because they react with water to form alkaline, or basic, solutions. The first column in the periodic table are the Alkali Metals. They have very similar behavior and characteristics. The Periodic Table : The Periodic Table: Alkali Metals Quiz. Metallic bonds in the alkaline earth metals are thus stronger than for the alkali metals, resulting in higher melting points, but they are still quite reactive because the two outer electrons are easily lost. The alkali metals make up group 1 of the Table, and comprise Li through Fr. The term 'earth' is historical it was the generic name used by alchemists for the oxides of these elements (which at one time were thought to be elements in their own right).Īll of the elements of group two have two electrons in their outer shell. Like the alkali metals, they form alkaline solutions when they react with water. The elements in this group, which are all shiny and silvery-white in appearance, are known as the alkaline earth metals. Group two of the periodic table comprises the elements beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium. Various properties of the group 1 elements are summarized in Table 21.3 Selected Properties of the Group 1 Elements. The alkali metals (highlighted) occupy group one in the periodic table

Alkali metals on periodic table