What is the common oxidation state of alkaline earth metals? (2019)

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Question: What is the common oxidation state of alkaline earth metals? (2019)

Options:

Correct Answer: +2

Exam Year: 2019

Solution:

Alkaline earth metals typically exhibit a common oxidation state of +2.

What is the common oxidation state of alkaline earth metals? (2019)

What is the common oxidation state of alkaline earth metals? (2019)

Step 1: Identify the group of elements known as alkaline earth metals. These are found in Group 2 of the periodic table.
Step 2: Understand that alkaline earth metals include elements like beryllium (Be), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).
Step 3: Learn that oxidation states indicate how many electrons an atom can lose, gain, or share when it forms chemical bonds.
Step 4: Recognize that alkaline earth metals have two electrons in their outermost shell.
Step 5: Conclude that to achieve a stable electron configuration, alkaline earth metals typically lose these two outer electrons.
Step 6: Therefore, the common oxidation state for alkaline earth metals is +2.

Oxidation States – The oxidation state is a measure of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a compound, indicating how many electrons an atom has gained, lost, or shared.
Alkaline Earth Metals – Alkaline earth metals are the elements in Group 2 of the periodic table, which include beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.