Similarities & Trends in the Properties of the Group 2 Metals, Magnesium to Barium, & Their Compounds (Cambridge (CIE) A Level Chemistry): Exam Questions

This question is about Group 2 nitrates.

Strontium nitrate is a Group 2 nitrate used to produce a colour in fireworks.

i) State the formula of strontium nitrate.

[1]

ii) State the colour that strontium nitrate produces in fireworks.

[1]

i) Construct an equation for the reaction that occurs when strontium nitrate is heated. Include state symbols.

[2]

ii) Give one observation of this reaction.

[1]

The nitrate ion, NO₃ , contains a dative covalent bond.

Complete the following ‘dot-and-cross’ diagram of the bonding in the nitrate ion.

Use the following code for your electrons:

•  electrons from oxygen

x electrons from nitrogen

□ added electron(s) responsible for the overall negative charge

Describe and explain the trend in thermal stabilities of the nitrates of the Group 2 elements.

Magnesium is a Group 2 metal.

Construct an equation, including state symbols, for the reaction between:

i) magnesium and steam

[1]

ii) magnesium and sulfuric acid

[1]

Magnesium sulfate is soluble in water.

Describe and explain how the solubilities of the sulfates of the Group 2 elements vary down the group.

The following table lists some enthalpy changes for magnesium and strontium compounds

Use the above data to calculate values of ΔH^θ_sol for Mg(OH)₂ and for Sr(OH)₂.

Mg(OH)₂    .....................................  kJ mol^-1 

Sr(OH)₂.     ....................................  kJ mol^-1 

Use your results from part (c) to deduce whether Sr(OH)₂ is more or less soluble in water than Mg(OH)₂, assuming all other factors are the same.

This question is about Group 2 carbonates.

Group 2 carbonates can react with acids.

i) State the difference between the reactions of calcium carbonate with hydrochloric acid and with sulfuric acid, and explain this difference.

[2]

ii) Construct an equation for the reaction between calcium carbonate and sulfuric acid. Include state symbols.

[1]

Describe and explain the trend observed in the thermal stability of the carbonates of the Group 2 elements.

The ionic radii of three ions are shown in Table 3.1.

Suggest how the thermal stabilities of zinc carbonate and lead carbonate might compare to that of calcium carbonate.

Table 3.1

Zinc is found in d block of the Periodic table but is not a transition element. 

i) Explain why zinc is not classed as a transition element. 

[1]

ii) Describe three characteristic chemical properties of transition elements that are not shown by Group 2 elements. 

[3]

This question is about Group 2 hydroxides.

Samples of magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium are reacted with water to form their hydroxides. The resulting solutions are then filtered to collect the precipitates.

Explain the trend in the expected mass for the precipitates.

Table 4.1 shows the solubility data for the Group 2 metal hydroxides.

Table 4.1

A student determined that a 50 cm³ solution of an unknown Group 2 metal hydroxide contained 802 mg of the metal hydroxide.

Identify the metal hydroxide in the unknown sample.

Construct an equation for the reaction between magnesium hydroxide and sulfuric acid. Include state symbols.

The solubility of Group 2 hydroxides increases going down the group because the enthalpy of solution, ΔH^θ_sol, gets more exothermic.

i) Define the term enthalpy of solution, ΔH^θ_sol.

[2]

ii) Explain why going down Group 2 the enthalpy of solution, ΔH^θ_sol, gets more exothermic.

[3]

This question is about magnesium.

Magnesium forms a nitrate, Mg(NO₃)₂, which decomposes on heating as shown below:

2Mg(NO₃)₂ (s) → 2MgO (s) + 4NO₂ (g) + O₂ (g)

Using oxidation states, explain why the reaction involves both oxidation and reduction.

The values for the first, second and third ionisation energies of magnesium are shown in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1

i) Construct an equation for the second ionisation energy of magnesium.

[2]

ii) Explain the trend in the first three ionisation energies of magnesium.

[3]

iii) Explain why magnesium has a greater second ionisation energy than barium.

[3]

Metal peroxides contain the ^-O–O^- ion.

The peroxides of the Group 2 elements, MO₂, decompose in a similar way to Group 2 metal carbonates.

i) Construct an equation for the thermal decomposition of strontium peroxide, SrO₂.

[1]

ii) Suggest how the temperature at which thermal decomposition of MO₂ occurs varies down Group 2. Explain your answer.

[3]

Table 2.1 shows the solubility data for the Group 2 metal hydroxides.

Table 2.1

State and explain the factors responsible for the trend in the solubility of the Group 2 hydroxides.

Milk of magnesia, Mg(OH)₂, is used to neutralise stomach acid.

Explain why Mg(OH)₂ cannot be used to test for carbon dioxide but Ba(OH)₂ can.

i) State the expression for the solubility product of Sr(OH)₂.

K_sp =

[1]

ii) Use the data from Table 2.1 in part (a) to calculate the value of K_sp at 293 K. Include units in your answer and show your working.

K_sp = ................................................ units = ..............................

[3]

Use the data from Table 2.1 in part (a) to calculate the pH of a saturated solution of Mg(OH)₂ at 293 K. Show your working.

K_w at 293 K = 0.681 x 10^-14 mol² dm^-6

pH = ....................

Calcium carbonate can be thermally decomposed to make calcium oxide. 

CaCO₃ (s) → CaO (s) + CO₂ (g)   ΔH = + 178 kJ mol^-1

Table 3.1 below shows the standard entropies of each substance. 

Table 3.1

i) Use the information in Table 3.1 to show that calcium carbonate is stable at room temperature (25 ^oC). 

[4]

 ii) Calculate the minimum temperature needed to decompose calcium carbonate 

[2]

Describe and explain the trend that is observed in the thermal decomposition of the Group 2 carbonates.

i) Construct an equation to show the equilibrium for the solubility product of CaCO₃. Include state symbols.

[1]

ii) With reference to your equation in part (c)(i), suggest what is observed when a few cm³ of concentrated K₂CO₃ (aq) are added to a saturated solution of CaCO₃. Explain your answer.

[2]

CaCO₃ has a solubility product, K_sp, in water at 298 K of 5 x 10^-9 mol² dm^-6

Calculate the solubility of CaCO₃ in water at 298 K, in g dm^-3.

solubility of CaCO₃ = ............................. g dm^-3