Question

What is group $ 2 $ called?

Answer 1

Hint : The group $ 2 $ name is given because of their alkaline nature and their presence in the earth’s crust. There are in total $ 6 $ elements in the group $ 2 $ . They are shiny, silvery-white, and soft metals. They are less reactive than group $ 1 $ elements. They are not found in pure nature.

Complete Step By Step Answer:
The group $ 2 $ elements are called alkaline earth metals. The elements present in the group $ 2 $ are Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Barium, Strontium, and Radium. These metals are soft, silver metals that are less metallic than the group $ 1 $ alkali metals. All the elements in Group $ 2 $ have two electrons in their valence shells, giving them an oxidation state of $ + 2 $ . They easily lose electrons, this increases their stability and allows them to form compounds via ionic bonds.
The alkaline earth metals have much higher melting points than alkali metals. Salts of these metals are less soluble in water than those of Group $ 1 $ because of the higher charge densities on the $ 2 + $ cations; nevertheless, many Group $ 2 $ salts are at least moderately soluble. Some Group $ 2 $ salts bond strongly to water molecules, and crystallize as hydrates.
Alkaline earth metals have a wide number of applications. Magnesium is also often alloyed with aluminum or zinc to form materials with more desirable properties than any pure metal. In electronics, beryllium is used as a p-type dopant in some semiconductors. Calcium also has a role in the making of cheese, mortars, and cement. Strontium and barium do not have as many applications as the lighter alkaline earth metals but still have many uses.

Note :
The reason behind group $ 2 $ elements being called alkaline earth metals is that the oxides of these elements remain in the crust of the earth and are very much stable to heat. And also the oxides of these metals produced basic solutions when dissolved in water, and they remained solids at the temperatures.