Alkaline earth metal
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
| Group | 2 |
|---|---|
| Period | |
| 2 | 4 Be |
| 3 | 12 Mg |
| 4 | 20 Ca |
| 5 | 38 Sr |
| 6 | 56 Ba |
| 7 | 88 Ra |
Alkaline earth metals are found in the second group of the periodic table. they are a metallic element, all with an oxidation number of +2, causing them to be extremely reactive. because of this reactivity, these elements are not found in their elemental form in nature. All of the alkaline earth elements in their pure form have either a silvery or white appearance, but change colors when oxidized. The elements included in the alkaline earth metals are these: Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, and Radium. [1]
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Berylium
Beryllium has the symbol Be, and an atomic number of 4. it is a steel grey, strong, and light weight metal. it is mostly used to harden allows, such as beryllium copper. of all the light metals, beryllium has the highest melting point. The ability for elasticity is around 1\3 greater than steel's. It is an excellent conductor of heat, and does not respond to magnetism. it will often even resist attacks of nitric acid. beryllium is commonly used in compounds such as beryl and bertrandite. although beryllium did not come into wide use until 1957, most of the production of this metal is done by reducing fluoride with magnesium metal. [2]
Magnesium
Magnesium has the symbol of Mg, it has an atomic mass of 24.31 grams, and its atomic number is 12. Its name comes from the Greek word for a section of Thessaly called magnesia. It is called this, because it is a close relative of manganese, which also came from this area in Thessaly. It is the eighth most prevalent element on the planet, and makes up around 2 percent of the earth's crust. Based on its weight, it is the third most abundant element found in seawater. All living cells are made up of, and need some magnesium. Although the metal itself is not found in nature, it can be produced through magnesium salts. Magnesium in this form is commonly used to make aluminum-magnesium alloys, also called magnesium. The metal form of magnesium is a relatively strong, silvery-white, metal, which does not weigh much. When exposed to even a small amount of air, it quickly tarnishes. Magnesium reacts with hydrochloric acid, and creates a heat and hydrogen bi-product as a result. When magnesium is ignited in the air, it burns with a very bright white light. Magnesium is still used in the production of fireworks and marine flares where strong white light is needed. [3]
Calcium
Calcium has the symbol Ca and the atomic number of 20. it has an atomic mass of 40.078 grams. Calcium is an alkali earth metal. It is a soft grey metal, which has been named as the worlds 5th most abundant element. It is absolutely imperative for living organisms, especially in cell physiology, ,and is the most commonly found metal in many animals. It is a rather soft element that can be made through extraction via electrolysis from fused calcium chloride. When calcium burns, it has a yellow-red flame, and leaves behind a white nitride coating when the air hits it. Calcium can easily react with water, which displaces a hydrogen atom from the structure, and forms calcium hydroxide. It is not normally found in its true metal state, but rather in sedimentary rocks, along with calcite, dolomite, and gypsum. It also is found in igneous as well as metamorphic rocks. [4]
Strontium
Strontium is a bright silvery metal, with the symbol Sr, and the atomic weight of 87.62 grams. It is softer than calcium and can be even more reactive than calcium in water. It can burn in air to create a form of strontium oxide, as well as strontium nitride. However, strontium does not react with nitrogen at a temperature below 380 degrees Celsius. The reaction can only spontaneously take place at room temperature. Because of its tendency to react very violently to air, strontium is only found naturally in compounds, with other elements such as strontianite and celestite. Strontium was discovered in 1798 by Thomas Charles Hope. Mr. Humphrey Davy was responsible for discovering the metallic strontium in 1808 by means of electrolysis. Strontium is the 15th most abundant element on earth. [5]
Barium
Barium is an element with the symbol of Ba. The word Barium first came from the Greek word “barys” which means “heavy”. It is a metallic element, which chemically resembles calcium, save it is more reactive with water and alcohol. When barium burns in the air, it produces not only barium oxide, but peroxide as well. Compounds of barium are noted for their high specific gravity. Barium was first discovered by Carl Scheele, in 1774, but later extracted by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808. Its oxide was called barote. Because the oxidization of barium is very quick, it is very difficult to harbor it in its pure form. Most commonly, this metal is extracted from the mineral Barite. [6]
Radium
Radium has the symbol of Ra, and an atomic number of 88. The name Radium originated from the Latin word Radius, meaning Ray. It was discovered by Maria Sklodowska-curie, and Pierre, her husband in 1898. Radium has an appearance of a near perfectly pure white. It readily oxidizes with air, which will turn it black. Radium is found in small amounts uranium, and is extremely radioactive. The most stable isotope of radium, 226Ra has a 1602 year half-life, and will eventually become Radon gas. Radium is the heaviest of all alkaline earth metals. The chemical behavior of radium closely resembles that of Barium. In the 1930s, it was discovered that workers who were exposed to radium in the handling of luminescent paints could cause serious sicknesses. Other effects of the Radium on the workers included sores, anemia, and bone cancer. The use of radium in this area was quickly abandoned.[7]
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