S-Block Element

The s-Block Elements
By:Beney Baraily
Class:Eleven(science)
Roll no:nine
Subject:chemistry
Members of the s-Block
Elements
IA IIA
Li Be
Na Mg
K Ca
Rb Sr
IA Alkali metals
Cs Ba
IIA Alkaline Earth
Fr Ra
metals
Characteristic properties of alkali
metals
• Lowest First I.E & very High Second I.E
• Soft metals
• Metallic character
• Low electronegativity
• Basic oxides, hydroxides
• Ionic bond with fixed oxidation state i.e. +1
• Characteristic flame colours
• Weak tendency to from complex
Atomic radii (nm)
Li 0.152
Na 0.186
K 0.231
Rb 0.244
Cs 0.262
Fr 0.270
Ionization Energies
Alkali metals have the lowest I.E in each period and it decreases
down the group.
Group I 1st I.E. 2nd I.E.

Li 519 7300
Na 494 4560
K 418 3070
Rb 402 2370
Cs 376 2420
Electropositive or Metallic character
• High tendency to lose e-

to form positive ions.
• Highly electropositive.
increases down the
group.
Characteristic Flame colouration
Li deep red Ca brick red
Na yellow Sr blood red
K lilac Ba apple green
Rb bluish red
Cs blue
HCl(aq) sample
Oxides, Peroxide, Superoxide
Reaction with water:
Oxide: O2- + H2O  2OH-

Peroxide: O22- + 2H2O  H2O2 + 2OH-
Superoxide: 2O2- + 2H2O  2OH- + H2O2 + O2
. .-
.. .. 2-
:O:.O:
:O:O: Li does not form
.. ..
.. .. peroxide or super oxide
Super oxide Li2O2  Li2O + ½ O2
Peroxide ion
Basic oxides, hydroxides
Oxide Hydroxides Oxide Hydroxides
Li2O LiOH BeO Be(OH)2
Na2O, NaOH MgO Mg(OH)2
Na2O2 CaO Ca(OH)2
K2O2, KO2 KOH SrO Sr(OH)2
Rb2O2, RbOH BaO, Ba2O2 Ba(OH)2
RbO2
Cs2O2, CsOH
CsO2
Action with hydrogen
All the alkali metals react directly with hydrogen to form
hydrides which are ionic in nature.
2Na(s) + H2(g)  2NaH(s)
The ionic character of hydrides increases from Li to Cs.

The stability of hydrides decreases from Li to Cs.
The hydrides behave as strong reducing agents and the latter
increases from Li to Cs.
Action of Halogens
All the alkali metals react directly with halogen to produce
ionic halides.
The reactivity of halogen towards the alkali metal
increases down the group.
Action with water

Alkali metals react with water to form hydroxides and
hydrogen gas is evolved.
Li reacts slowly but Na and others react violently. That is why
they are kept in kerosene oil.
All are soluble and basic strength increases down the group.
Characteristic properties of alkaline
earth metals
• Low First I.E & Second I.E
• Low electronegativity
• Basic oxides, hydroxides
• Ionic bond with fixed oxidation state i.e. +2
• Characteristic flame colours
• Weak tendency to from complex
Atomic radii (nm)
Be 0.112
Mg 0.160
Ca 0.197
Sr 0.215
Ba 0.217
Ra 0.220
Ionization Energies
Group I 1st I.E. 2nd I.E. 3rd I.E.
Be 900 1760 14800
Mg 736 1450 7740
Ca 590 1150 4940
Sr 548 1060 4120
Ba 502 966 3390
1. Have low 1st and 2nd IE.

2. Removal of the 3rd electron is much more difficult
as it involves the loss of an inner shell electron.
3. IE decrease as the group is descended.
4. IE of the group II is generally higher than group I.
Hydration Enthalpy
General trends:
1. On going down both groups, hydration enthalpy
decreases.
(As the ions get larger, the charge density of the
ions decreases, the electrostatic attraction between
ions and water molecules gets smaller.)
2. Group 2 ions have hydration enthalpies higher

than group 1.
( Group 2 cations are doubly charged and have
smaller sizes)
Basic oxides, hydroxides
Oxide Hydroxides
BeO Be(OH)2
MgO Mg(OH)2
CaO Ca(OH)2
SrO Sr(OH)2
BaO, Ba2O2 Ba(OH)2
Hydroxides
Group II
hydroxide Be Mg Ca Sr Ba
Solubility increase, from

Amphoteric to basic, base strength
increase
Variation in Melting Points
Strength of metallic bond depends on:

1. Ionic radius
2. Number of e- contributed to the electron sea per atom
3. Crystal lattice structure
Note: The exceptionally high m.p. of calcium

is due to contribution of d-orbital participation
of metallic bonding.
Reactions with oxygen
Normal Peroxide
Oxide
Structure .. 2- .. .. 2-
:O: :O-O:
.. .. ..
Formed by All alkaline Ba
earth metals
Characteristic Flame colouration
Ca brick red
Sr blood red
Ba apple green
HCl(aq) sample
Reaction with water
M(s)  M+(aq) + e-
H2O(l) + e-  OH-(aq) + ½ H2(g)
Li -3.05 volt Be -1.85 volt

Na -2.71 Mg -2.38
K -2.93 Ca -2.87
Rb -2.99 Sr -2.89
Cs -3.20 Ba -2.90
Energetic vs. Kinetic Factor

Action with hydrogen
All except Be react directly with hydrogen.
Ca(s) + H2(g)  CaH2(s)
The reactivity increases down the group.
Only BeH2 and MgH2 are covalent, others are

ionic.
Action with halogens

BeCl2 is essentially covalent, with comparatively low
m.pt.
The lower members in group II form essentially ionic
chlorides, with Mg having intermediate properties.
Reactions of hydrides
They all react readily with water to give the
metal hydroxide and hydrogen due to the
strong basic property of the hydride ion, H:-
H:-(s)+ H2O(l)  H2(g)+ OH-(aq)
Hydride ions are also good reducing agent.

They can be used to prepare complex hydrides
such as LiAlH4 and NaBH4 which are used to
reduce C=O in organic chemistry.
Thermal Stability of carbonates
Li2CO3  Li2O + CO2 ( at 700oC)
All other group I carbonates are stable at ~800oC
BeCO3  BeO + CO2 ( at 100oC)

MgCO3  MgO + CO2 ( at 540oC)
CaCO3  CaO + CO2 ( at 900oC)
SrCO3  SrO + CO2 ( at 1290oC)
BaCO3  BaO + CO2 ( at 1360oC)
Thermal stability
1. Carbonates and hydroxides of Group I metals

are as a whole more stable than those of Group II.
2. Thermal stability increases on descending the group.
3. Lithium often follow the pattern of Group II rather
than Group I.
This is an example of the diagonal relationship.
Explanation of Thermal Stability
1. Charge of the ions
2. Size of the ions
3. Compounds are more stable if the charge increases
and size decreases.
4. For compounds with large polarizable anions, thermal
stability is affected by the polarizing power of the
cations.
Explanation of Thermal Stability
+ -
Decreasing Increasing
+ -
polarizing stability
power
+ -
Relative solubility of Group II
hydroxides
Compound Solubility / mol per 100g

water
Mg(OH)2 0.020 x 10-3
Solubility of hydroxides
Ca(OH)2 1.5 x 10-3 increases down the group.
Sr(OH)2 3.4 x 10-3
Ba(OH)2 15 x 10-3
Solubility of Group II sulphates
Compound Solubility / mol per 100g

water
MgSO4 3600 x 10-4
Solubility of sulphates
CaSO4 11 x 10-4 increases up the group.
SrSO4 0.62 x 10-4
BaSO4 0.009 x 10-4

Explanation of solubility
aqueous
MX(s) M+(aq) + X-(aq)
H solution
-H lattice H hydration
M+(g) + X-(g)
H solution = -H lattice + H hydration

Explanation of solubility
1. Group I compounds are more soluble than Group II
because the metal ions have smaller charges and
larger sizes. H lattice is smaller, and H solution is
more exothermic.
H solution = -H lattice + H hydration

S-Block Element

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The s-Block Elements

Group I 1st I.E. 2nd I.E.

• High tendency to lose e-

Reaction with water:

Oxide: O2- + H2O  2OH-

2Na(s) + H2(g)  2NaH(s)

The ionic character of hydrides increases from Li to Cs.

Action with water

1. Have low 1st and 2nd IE.

2. Group 2 ions have hydration enthalpies higher

Solubility increase, from

Strength of metallic bond depends on:

Note: The exceptionally high m.p. of calcium

Li -3.05 volt Be -1.85 volt

Energetic vs. Kinetic Factor

Ca(s) + H2(g)  CaH2(s)

The reactivity increases down the group.

Only BeH2 and MgH2 are covalent, others are

Action with halogens

H:-(s)+ H2O(l)  H2(g)+ OH-(aq)

Hydride ions are also good reducing agent.

BeCO3  BeO + CO2 ( at 100oC)

1. Carbonates and hydroxides of Group I metals

Compound Solubility / mol per 100g

Sr(OH)2 3.4 x 10-3

Compound Solubility / mol per 100g

BaSO4 0.009 x 10-4

-H lattice H hydration

H solution = -H lattice + H hydration

H solution = -H lattice + H hydration

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