Question

Give the general characteristics of:

Alkaline earth metals with reference to

(i) bonding
(ii) action of air
(iii) action of water
(iv) action of acid

Answer 1

Alkaline earth metal:-
(i) Bonding: All alkaline earth metal salts except beryllium are ionic compounds.
(ii) Action of air: They are less reactive than alkali metals.
(iii) Action of water: They react with water to produce hydrogen gas.

`M + 2H_2O ⟶ M(OH)_2 + H2`

(iv) Action of acid: They react with dilute HCl and dil. H2SO4 to produce hydrogen gas.
`M + 2HCl ⟶ MCl_2 + H_2`