Alkaline Earth Metals

Alkaline Earth Metals

The Alkaline Earth Metals are a group of chemical elements in the periodic table with very similar properties. They are all shiny, silvery-white, somewhat reactive metals at standard temperature and pressure and readily lose their two outermost electrons to form cations with charge +2. They are the second group in the periodic table. They include Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, and Radium.

Pronunciation

Alkaline Earth Metals: /ælˈkaɪn ɜːrθ ˈmetlz/

Etymology

The term "Alkaline" comes from the Arabic word "al-qali" meaning "the calcined" which refers to the material left behind after boiling down plant ashes. "Earth" is an old term for nonmetallic substances that are insoluble in water and resistant to heating. "Metals" is from the Greek word "metallon" meaning to mine or excavate.

Related Terms

• Periodic Table
• Chemical Element
• Metal
• Cation
• Electron

See Also

• Alkali Metals
• Transition Metals
• Post-Transition Metals
• Metalloids
• Nonmetals
• Halogens
• Noble Gases

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