Question
Chemistry Question on GROUP 2 ELEMENTS
Property of the alkaline earth metals that increases with their atomic number is
A
solubility of their hydroxides in water
B
solubility of their sulphates in water
C
ionisation energy
D
electronegativity
Answer
solubility of their hydroxides in water
Explanation
Solution
The solubility of an ionic compound depends on two factors : (i) Lattice energy and (ii) hydration energy In case of alkaline earth metal hydroxides, the lattice energy decreases as we move down the group. This decrease is more than the decrease in the hydration energy down the group. Hence, their solubility increases down the group