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GROUP TRENDS FOR ACTIVE METALS

Group 1A: ALKALI METALS
soft metallic solids
exist in nature only as compounds
reactive towards water and oxygen
emits a characteristic color
Reactions:
alkali metal + nonmetal
2 M(s) + H
2
(g) 2 MH(s)
alkali metal + water alkali metal hydroxide + hydrogen gas
2 M(s) +2 H
2
O(l) 2 MOH(aq) + H
2
(g)
alkali metal + oxygen metal oxide
4 Li(s) + O
2
(g) 2 LiO(s) (lithium oxide)
alkali metal + oxygen peroxide
2 Na(s) + O
2
(g) Na
2
O
2
(s) (sodium peroxide)
alkali metal + oxygen superoxide
K(s) + O
2
(g) KO
2
(s) (potassium superoxide)
Group 2A: ALKALINE EARTH METALS
harder and more dense
behave in presence in water
lose outer s electrons, 2
+
ions
Reactions:
alkaline earth metal + water metal oxide + hydrogen (or metal hydroxide)
Mg(s) + H
2
O(g) MgO(s) + H
2
(g)
Hydrogen
colorless diatomic gas but is metallic under great pressures
ionization energy is double than that of any alkali metals, hydrogen does not
lose its valence electrons as easily as do alkali metals
it shares its electrons with nonmetals and metals
Reaction:
Hydrogen + metal exothermic
Group 6A: OXYGEN GROUP

(gas) O
(solid) S
(solid) Se
(solid) Te
(solid) Po


OZONE O
3

less stable than O
2

powerful oxidizing agent
OXYGEN O
2

has great tendency to
attract electrons

Group 7A: HALOGENS
salt formers
typical nonmetals
F - gas
Cl - gas
Br - liquid
I - solid
have highly negative electon affinities
gain electrons to form halides X
-


Group 8A: THE NOBLE GASES
monatomic
thought to be inert but discovered that they have to react with substance with
extremely high ability to remove electron


metal
characteristic