What is the primary characteristic of alkaline earth metals? (2020)

What is the primary characteristic of alkaline earth metals? (2020)

Step 1: Understand what alkaline earth metals are. They are a group of elements in the second column of the periodic table.
Step 2: Identify the elements in this group. They include beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.
Step 3: Learn about oxidation states. An oxidation state indicates how many electrons an atom can lose, gain, or share when it forms chemical bonds.
Step 4: Focus on the +2 oxidation state. Alkaline earth metals typically lose two electrons when they react with other elements.
Step 5: Conclude that the primary characteristic of alkaline earth metals is their tendency to have a +2 oxidation state due to losing two electrons.

No concepts available.