S-BLOCK

-BY THE APRON BOY

-The first element of alkali and alkaline earth metals differs in many respects from the other
members of the group.
-A=1st group element also known as alkali metals.
R=These are so called because they form hydroxides on reaction with water which are strongly
alkaline in nature.
-Among the alkali metals sodium and potassium are abundant and lithium, rubidium and caesium have
much lower abundances.
-Fr has a half-life of only 21 minutes.
- Of the alkaline earth metals calcium and magnesium rank fifth and sixth in abundance respectively
in the earth’s crust.
- Lithium and beryllium, the first elements of Group 1 and Group 2 respectively exhibit some
properties which are different from those of the other members of the respective group.
-Lithium shows similarities to magnesium and beryllium to aluminium in many of their properties.
This type of diagonal similarity is commonly referred to as diagonal relationship in the periodic
table.
-The diagonal relationship is due to the similarity in ionic sizes and /or charge/radius ratio of the
elements.

GROUP 1 ELEMENTS: ALKALI METALS

Electronic Configuration- All the alkali metals have one valence electron (ns1)
Atomic and Ionic Radii- The alkali metal atoms have the largest sizes in a particular period of the
periodic table.
-The monovalent ions are smaller than the parent atom.
-The atomic and ionic radii of alkali metals increase on moving down the group i.e., they increase in
size while going from Li to Cs.
Ionization Enthalpy -The ionization enthalpies of the alkali metals are considerably low and
decrease down the group from Li to Cs.
Hydration Enthalpy - The hydration enthalpies of alkali metal ions decrease with increase in ionic
sizes.
Li+ > Na+ > K+ > Rb+ > Cs+

-Li+ has maximum degree of hydration and for this reason lithium salts are mostly hydrated, e.g.,
LiCl· 2H2O.

Physical Properties
- All the alkali metals are silvery white, soft and light metals
- Density which increase down the group
(potassium is lighter than sodium)
- The melting and boiling points of the alkali metals are low indicating weak metallic bonding due to
the presence of only a single valence electron in them.
- The alkali metals and their salts impart characteristic colour to an oxidizing flame.
- Metal Li Na K Rb Cs
Colour Crimson red Yellow Violet red violet Blue

- Caesium and potassium useful as electrodes in photoelectric cells.

Chemical Properties- The alkali metals are highly reactive due to their large size and
low ionization enthalpy.
(i) Reactivity towards air:
-They burn vigorously in oxygen forming oxides.
- Lithium = monoxide
Sodium = peroxide
The other metals = superoxides.
- Lithium shows exceptional behaviour in reacting directly with nitrogen of air to form the nitride,
Li3N as well.

(ii) Reactivity towards water:

- The alkali metals react with water to form hydroxide and dihydrogen.
(iii) Reactivity towards dihydrogen:
-The alkali metals react with dihydrogen at about 673K (lithium at 1073K) to form hydrides.
-All the alkali metal hydrides are ionic solids with high melting points.
(iv) Reactivity towards halogens
-Alkali metals readily react vigorously with halogens to form ionic halides.
-Li halide are covalent
(It is because of the high polarisation capability of lithium ion)
(v) Reducing nature
- The alkali metals are strong reducing agents.
-Li=Maximum
Na=min.
(vi) Solutions in liquid ammonia
-The alkali metals dissolve in liquid ammonia giving deep blue solutions which are conducting in
nature.
- The blue colour of the solution is due to the ammoniated electron.
- The solutions are paramagnetic and on standing slowly liberate hydrogen resulting in the formation
of amide.
- In concentrated solution, the blue colour changes to bronze colour and becomes diamagnetic.

Uses-
-Aluminium to make aircraft parts.
- Lithium is also used to make electrochemical cells.
- Sodium is used to make a Na/Pb alloy needed to make PbEt4 and PbMe4.
- K has a vital role in biological systems.
- Caesium is used in devising photoelectric cells.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPOUNDS OF THE

ALKALI METALS

-All the common compounds of the alkali metals are generally ionic in nature.
(1) Oxides and Hydroxides
Li- mainly forms mainly the oxide.
Na- forms the peroxide and some superoxide
K,Rb,Cs- superoxides

- The increasing stability of the peroxide or superoxide, as the size of the metal ion increases, is
due to the stabilisation of large anions by larger cations through lattice energy effects.

- The oxides and the peroxides are colourless when pure, but the superoxides are yellow or orange
in colour.

- The superoxides are also paramagnetic.

(2) Halides

-High melting point

- Colourless crystalline solids.
- The melting and boiling points always follow the trend: fluoride > chloride > bromide > iodide
- All these halides are soluble in water.
- The low solubility of LiF in water is due to its high lattice enthalpy whereas the low solubility of
CsI is due to smaller hydration enthalpy of its two ions.

(3) Salts of Oxo-Acids

-They are generally soluble in water and thermally stable.
-Their carbonates and in most cases the hydrogencarbonate also are highly stable to heat.
- Lithium carbonate is not so stable to heat. Its hydrogencarbonate does not exist as a solid

ANOMALOUS PROPERTIES OF LITHIUM

-The anomalous behaviour of lithium is due to the
(i) Exceptionally small size of its atom and ion, and
(ii) High polarising power (i.e., charge/ radius ratio)
- Lithium shows diagonal relationship to magnesium which has been discussed subsequently.

Points of Difference between Lithium and other Alkali Metals

(i) High MP and BP
(ii) Lithium is least reactive but the strongest reducing agent among all the alkali metals.
(iii) LiCl is deliquescent and crystallises as a hydrate, LiCl.2H2O whereas other alkali metal
chlorides do not form hydrates.
(iv) Lithium hydrogencarbonate is not obtained in the solid form while all other elements
form solid hydrogencarbonates.
(v) Lithium unlike other alkali metals forms no ethynide on reaction with ethyne.
(vi) LiF and Li2O are comparatively much less soluble in water than the corresponding
compounds of other alkali metals.

Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda), Na2CO3·10H2O

- Sodium carbonate is generally prepared by Solvay Process.

-
-Calcium chloride is obtained as a by-product.
-It may be mentioned here that Solvay process cannot be extended to the manufacture of
potassium carbonate because potassium hydrogencarbonate is too soluble to be precipitated by the
addition of ammonium hydrogencarbonate to a saturated solution of potassium chloride.

Sodium Chloride(NaCl)
-Most abundant source is Sea water.
-s. Calcium chloride, CaCl2, and magnesium chloride, MgCl2 are impurities because they are
deliquescent (absorb moisture easily from the atmosphere.
-. The solubility does not increase appreciably with increase in temperature
-It is used as a common salt or table salt for domestic purpose.
-It is used for the preparation of Na2O2, NaOH and Na2CO3.

Sodium Hydroxide (Caustic Soda), NaOH

-Sodium hydroxide is generally prepared commercially by the electrolysis of sodium chloride in
Castner-Kellner cell.
-A brine solution is electrolysed using a mercury cathode and a carbon anode.
-Sodium metal discharged at the cathode combines with mercury to form sodium amalgam. Chlorine
gas is evolved at the anode.

Sodium Hydrogencarbonate (Baking Soda), NaHCO3

-Sodium hydrogencarbonate is known as baking soda because it decomposes on heating to generate
bubbles of carbon dioxide.
-Sodium hydrogencarbonate is a mild antiseptic for skin infections. It is used in fire extinguishers.

GROUP 2 ELEMENTS : ALKALINE EARTH METALS

-These (except beryllium) are known as alkaline earth metals.
-The first element beryllium differs from the rest of the members and shows diagonal relationship
to aluminium.

Electronic Configuration
-Their general electronic configuration may be represented as [noble gas] ns2.

Atomic and Ionic Radii

-The atomic and ionic radii of the alkaline earth metals are smaller than those of the corresponding
alkali metals in the same periods.
R=increased nuclear charge in these elements
-In GROUP = Radii increase
Ionization Enthalpies
-The alkaline earth metals have low ionization enthalpies due to fairly large size of the atoms.
-In GROUP= decreases.
-The first ionisation enthalpies of the alkaline earth metals are higher than those of the
corresponding Group 1 metals.
-It is interesting to note that the second ionisation enthalpies of the alkaline earth metals are
smaller than those of the corresponding alkali metals.

Hydration Enthalpies
-Be2+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > Sr2+ > Ba2+
-The hydration enthalpies of alkaline earth metal ions are larger than those of alkali metal ions.
-Thus, compounds of alkaline earth metals are more extensively hydrated than those of alkali
metals.
-MgCl2 and CaCl2 exist as MgCl2.6H2O and CaCl2· 6H2O while NaCl and KCl do not form such
hydrates.

Physical Properties
-The alkaline earth metals, in general, are silvery white, lustrous and relatively soft but harder than
the alkali metals.
-The melting and boiling points of these metals are higher than the corresponding alkali metals due
to smaller sizes.
-Because of the low ionisation enthalpies, they are strongly electropositive in nature.
-The electropositive character increases down the group from Be to Ba.
- Flame test-
Be= Do not impart any colour to the flame.
Mg=Do not impart any colour to the flame.
(The electrons in beryllium and magnesium are too strongly bound to get excited by flame)
Ca=brick red
Sr= crimson red
Ba= apple green
- The flame test for Ca, Sr and Ba is helpful in their detection in qualitative analysis and estimation
by flame photometry.

Chemical Properties
- The alkaline earth metals are less reactive than the alkali metals.
- The reactivity of these elements increases on going down the group.
(i) Reactivity towards air and water:
- Beryllium and magnesium are kinetically inert to oxygen and water because of the formation of an
oxide film on their surface.
- Beryllium burns brilliantly on ignition in air to give BeO and Be3N 2.
- Calcium, strontium and barium are readily attacked by air to form the oxide and nitride.
(ii) Reactivity towards the halogens
- All the alkaline earth metals combine with halogen at elevated temperatures forming their halides.
(iii) Reactivity towards Hydrogen
- All the elements except beryllium combine with hydrogen upon heating to form the MH 2
(iv) Reducing Nature-
-Alkaline Earth metals are strongest Reducing agent.
- Beryllium has less negative value compared to other alkaline metals
(V) Solutions in Liquid Ammonia
- Like alkali metals, the alkaline earth metals dissolve in liquid ammonia to give deep blue black
solutions forming.

USES-Uses are not very important so please Normally read from

NCERT book.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPOUNDS OF THE ALKALINE

EARTH METALS
(i)Oxides and Hydroxides:
- The alkaline earth metals burn in oxygen to form the monoxide, MO which, except for BeO, have
rock-salt structure.
- The BeO is essentially covalent in nature.
- BeO is amphoteric while oxides of other elements are ionic in nature.
- All these oxides except BeO are basic in nature and react with water to form sparingly soluble
hydroxides.
- The solubility, thermal stability and the basic character of these hydroxides increase with
increasing atomic number from Mg to Ba.
- The alkaline earth metal hydroxides are, however, less basic and less stable than alkali metal
hydroxides.
- Beryllium hydroxide is amphoteric in nature as it reacts with acid and alkali both.

(ii) Halides:
-Ionic in Nature (except Be)
- Beryllium chloride has a chain structure in the solid state.
- In the vapour phase BeCl2 tends to form a chloro-bridged dimer which dissociates into the linear
monomer at high temperatures of the order of 1200 K.
- The tendency to form halide hydrates gradually decreases.
MgCl2·8H2O
CaCl2·6H2O
SrCl2·6H2O
BaCl2 ·2H2O

(iii) Salts of Oxoacids:

- The alkaline earth metals also form salts of oxoacids. Some of these are :
Carbonates:
- Carbonates of alkaline earth metals are insoluble in water and can be precipitated by addition of a
sodium or ammonium carbonate solution to a solution of a soluble salt of these metals.
- The solubility of carbonates in water decreases as the atomic number of the metal ion increases.
- The thermal stability increases with increasing cationic size.
Sulphates:
- The sulphates of the alkaline earth metals are all white solids and stable to heat.
-BeSO4, and MgSO4 are readily soluble in water; the solubility decreases from CaSO 4 and BaSO4.

Nitrates:
- Magnesium nitrate crystallises with six molecules of water, whereas barium nitrate crystallises as
the anhydrous salt.
- This again shows a decreasing tendency to form hydrates with increasing size and decreasing
hydration enthalpy.

ANOMALOUS BEHAVIOUR OF BERYLLIUM

- Because of high ionisation enthalpy and small size it forms compounds which are largely covalent
and get easily hydrolysed.
- Beryllium does not exhibit coordination number more than four as in its valence shell there are
only four orbitals.(d orbitals absent)
- The oxide and hydroxide of beryllium, unlike the hydroxides of other elements in the group, are
amphoteric in nature.

Diagonal Relationship between Beryllium and Aluminium

(Read all the points from NCERT)

Calcium Oxide or Quick Lime, CaO

- It is prepared on a commercial scale by heating limestone (CaCO3) in a rotary kiln at 1070-1270 K.
- Calcium oxide is a white amorphous solid. It has a melting point 2870K.
- It is an important primary material for manufacturing cement and is the cheapest form of alkali.
- It is employed in the purification of sugar and in the manufacture of dye stuffs.

Calcium Hydroxide (Slaked lime), Ca(OH)2

- Calcium hydroxide is prepared by adding water to quick lime, CaO.
- It is sparingly soluble in water.
- The aqueous solution is known as lime water and a suspension of slaked lime in water is known as
milk of lime.
- When carbon dioxide is passed through lime water it turns milky due to the formation of calcium
carbonate.

Calcium Carbonate, CaCO3

- It can be prepared by passing carbon dioxide through slaked lime or by the addition of sodium
carbonate to calcium chloride.
- Calcium carbonate is a white fluffy powder. It is almost insoluble in water.
- It reacts with dilute acid to liberate carbon dioxide.

Please read all compound uses from NCERT. Not more important for NEET But sometimes asked in
statements.