What do groups 1A and 2A have in common?

What do group 1A and group 2A elements have in common? Both very reactive, react with water, form positive ions, and all metals.

Why are Group 2 elements good conductors?

Being a metal, they are obviously good conductors of heat and electricity. The general electronic configuration of Group 2 elements is ns2. Alkali earth metals have the capability to lose the two electrons in their outer shell. Thus, they react with other elements and form ionic compounds.

Why are group 1 elements the most active metals?

Alkali metals are among the most reactive metals. This is due in part to their larger atomic radii and low ionization energies. They tend to donate their electrons in reactions and have an oxidation state of +1.

Why 1A group elements are soft metals?

Due to the presence of this single electron in their valence shell, alkali metals are soft in nature. The metallic bonding between the atoms in alkali metals are weak. So, they have weak binding energy in their lattice. Hence, alkali metals are found very soft.

Why is Group 2A alkaline earth metals?

Beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium are the elements in Group 2. For two reasons, these elements are referred to as Alkaline Earth metals, Their oxides remain in the crust of the earth and are very heat-stable. The elements of Group 2 of the periodic table are alkaline earth metals.

How do 1A and 2A differ from the other Group A elements?

Group 2A (or IIA) of the periodic table are the alkaline earth metals: beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra). They are harder metals than the Group 1A elements, but are soft and lightweight compared to many of the transition metals.

Are Group 1 metals good conductors?

Alkali metals are extremely good conductors of electricity and heat. Alkali metals have one electron in their outermost shell which is held very weakly by the nucleus. The outer electron can drift further from the nucleus and move relatively freely.

Why are Group 2 elements smaller in size than those of Group 1?

Reason: The alkaline earth metals have a higher nuclear charge ,and ,therefore the electrons are attracted more strongly towards the nucleus. As a result ,their atomic and ionic radii are smaller than those of the corresponding alkali metals.

Why do the elements in groups 1 and 2 react so easily?

They have high ionization energies and form the most electronegative group of elements. Their electron configuration, ns2np5, allows them to easily react with Group 1 and 2 metals; each halogen tends to pick up one electron, and the Group 1 and Group 2 elements each tend to lose one or two electrons, respectively.

Why are group 1 metals so reactive and what are they called?

alkali metal, any of the six chemical elements that make up Group 1 (Ia) of the periodic table—namely, lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). The alkali metals are so called because reaction with water forms alkalies (i.e., strong bases capable of neutralizing acids).

What are the characteristics of Group 1 on the periodic table?

Group one elements share common characteristics. They are all soft, silver metals. Due to their low ionization energy, these metals have low melting points and are highly reactive. The reactivity of this family increases as you move down the table.

What is Group 1A on the periodic table?

Group 1A (or IA) of the periodic table are the alkali metals: hydrogen (H), lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and francium (Fr). The name comes from the fact that when these metals or their oxides are dissolved in water, a basic (alkaline) solution results.