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Lesson 2

The document discusses the solubilities and thermal stabilities of group 2 hydroxides, sulfates, carbonates and nitrates. It explains that as you go down group 2, the carbonates and nitrates become more stable due to the larger metal cations having lower charge densities and therefore polarizing the anions less.

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saidbiala414
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14 views

Lesson 2

The document discusses the solubilities and thermal stabilities of group 2 hydroxides, sulfates, carbonates and nitrates. It explains that as you go down group 2, the carbonates and nitrates become more stable due to the larger metal cations having lower charge densities and therefore polarizing the anions less.

Uploaded by

saidbiala414
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PERIODIC TABLE: GROUP 2

Solubilities of Group 2 hydroxides and


sulfates
Thermal Stability of the Group 1 & 2
Carbonates and Nitrates
SOLUBILITIES OF GROUP 2
SULFATES AND HYDROXIDES

An explanation of these trends is not required


Thermal Stability of the Group 1 & 2
Carbonates and Nitrates
1) List these atoms in order of increasing atomic radius
Na, Mg, K, Ca?

2) Which ion has largest ionic radius? Na+ or Mg2+ ?

3) Which ion has the largest ionic radius, Be2+ or Ca2+ ?

4) Which metal cation Be2+ or Ca2+ has the highest


Charge Density?
1) List these atoms in order of increasing atomic radius
Na, Mg, K, Ca

Mg, Na, Ca, K

2) Which ion has largest ionic radius? Na+ or Mg2+

Na+

3) Which ion has the largest ionic radius, Be2+ or Ca2+?

Ca2+

4) Which metal cation Be2+ or Ca2+ has the highest Charge Density

Be2+
The Facts
• Thermal decomposition is the term given to splitting up a
compound by heating it.

• All the carbonates in Group II undergo thermal


decomposition to give the metal oxide and carbon
dioxide.

• As you go down the Group, the carbonates have to be


heated more strongly before they will decompose.

• The carbonates become more stable to heat as you go


down the Group.
Why?
• A small 2+ ion has a lot of charge packed into a
small volume of space.

• It has a high charge density and will have a


marked distorting effect on any negative ions
which happen to be near it.

• A bigger 2+ ion has the same charge spread


over a larger volume of space.

• Its charge density will be lower, and it will cause


less distortion to nearby negative ions.
The Structure of the Carbonate Ion

CO32-
The structure of the carbonate ion

• Actually, in Carbonate
ions all the bonds are
identical,

• The charges are spread


out over the whole ion

• Although concentrated on
the oxygen atoms. We
say that the charges are
delocalised.
Polarising the carbonate ion

positive 2+ ion attracts the delocalised


electrons in the carbonate ion towards itself

The Carbonate Ion becomes polarised


The pattern

• Cations with a high density of charge


(larger charge or smaller ions) can
polarise anions more effectively.

• Polarised anions are more likely to


decompose.
• The smaller the positive ion is, the higher the
charge density, and the greater effect it will
have on the carbonate ion.

• As the positive ions get bigger as you go


down the Group, they have less effect on the
carbonate ions near them

• Hence, as you go down the Group, the


carbonates become more thermally stable.
Group I
• Cations which have a small charge
(group I) are poor at polarising anions.

• So group I carbonates do not decompose


when heated – except for Lithium….

• Lithium is so small that it has got a high


density of charge and so can still polarise
anions (so lithium carbonate can be
decomposed).
Nitrates
• The argument is exactly the same here. The
small positive ions at the top of the Group
polarise the nitrate ions more than the larger
positive ions at the bottom

• And, again, the Group 1 compounds will need


to be heated more strongly than those in
Group 2 because the Group 1 ions are less
polarising.
To do…
• Answer questions 1 – 5 on worksheet
“Trends of group 1 and group 2
compounds”

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