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Group 13 Elements: The Boron Family
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Biological Importance of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals

Last Updated : 02 Dec, 2021
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Elements are arranged in a periodic table row-wise and column-wise according to similarities in their chemical and physical properties. The elements in the first column are known as Group 1 elements which have the following elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, Caesium and Francium. All these elements have similar properties except Lithium so all the elements of this group including lithium (yet it has different properties ) are known as Alkali Metals. 

The elements in the second column are known as Group 2 elements which have the following elements beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium. All these elements have similar properties except Beryllium so all the elements of this group except beryllium are known as Alkaline Earth Metals.

Common Characteristics of Alkali Metals  

  • Atomic Radii: In the periodic table, the atomic radii of elements decreases as we move from left to right in a row while in a column the atomic radii increases as we move from top to bottom. Hence atomic radii of alkali metals increase down the column from Lithium to Francium.
  • Ionization Energy: Ionization energy or ionization enthalpy is the minimum amount of energy needed to remove electrons from the energy shells of an atom. Alkali metals have low ionization energies because atoms of alkali metals have a big size due to which the nuclear charge of an atom can be outweighed so it is difficult to take out an electron from an energy shell. The trend of ionization energies is opposite to atomic radii so ionization energies decrease as we move down the group.
  • Electronegativity: Whenever an atom of an element forms a bond with an atom of some other element by sharing electron pairs then every atom tries to attract shared electron pair towards itself, this tends to attract shared pair of electrons is known as Electronegativity. Electronegativity of alkali metals decreases down the group.
  • Hydration Energy: Hydration energy is the amount of energy released on the hydration of one mole of ions. Hydration energy of alkali metals follows the opposite trend as that of atomic size means hydration enthalpy of ions decreases down the group as atomic size increases.

Li+ > Na+ > K+ > Rb+ > Cs+

Physical Properties of Alkali Metals:

  1. Appearance of alkali metals is silvery white.
  2. These are soft metals.
  3. They have a lower boiling point than alkaline earth metals.
  4. These elements can be tested by flame test as they give different colours on being exposed to flame.
  5. These metals can conduct electricity.
  6. Alkali metals have low densities, they are light metals.

Uses of Alkali Metals:

  1. Lithium is used in making different types of alloys one is known as white metal.
  2. Lithium is also used in storing energy in electrochemical cells.
  3. In photoelectric cells, Caesium is used as an electrode.
  4. Potassium is mainly used in fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides.
  5. Sodium especially liquid sodium can be used in nuclear reactors as coolants.

Biological Importance of Alkali Metals

Alkali metals react readily with air and water so to avoid any reaction these metals should be stored under some kind of oil. All the alkali metals play a very important role in the existence and maintenance of the life cycle. Let's see the biological importance of all alkali metals one by one.

  1. Biological Importance of Lithium: Lithium is important to humans through its high concentration has a toxic effect it naturally occurs in soil and hence with included in the food chain, talking about biological importance so it has an antioxidant effect and many medicines which are used to treat depression and anxiety disorders uses lithium compounds. Lithium chloride is used to treat hypertension.
  2. Biological Importance of Sodium: Sodium plays a very important role in balancing water in the human body and sodium ions are used to transmit nerve impulses, these sodium ions are also responsible for muscle contraction and relaxation. A sufficient amount of sodium in the body helps to prevent the body from different failures like kidney failure, heart failure etc.
  3. Biological Importance of Potassium: Potassium is very important as it maintains osmotic pressure between cells and interstitial fluid, it is used to treat many diseases like hypokalemia, weakness of muscles, cardiac disorders etc. Potassium ions help the nutrients of food to move inside cells and move waste products outside the cells.
  4. Biological Importance of Rubidium: Rubidium helps in the stimulation of metabolism. Some isotopes of rubidium are used in the treatment of severe heart diseases. Rubidium ions are also found in muscles.
  5. Biological Importance of Caesium: Chemical properties of caesium are mostly similar to that of potassium so in the body caesium can replace potassium which is very harmful so caesium ions are mostly avoided by humans.
  6. Biological Importance of Francium: Actually francium does not have any biological role as such.

Common Characteristics of Alkaline Earth Metals

  • Atomic Radii: In the periodic table, the atomic radii of elements decreases as we move from left to right in a row while in a column the atomic radii increases as we move from top to bottom. Hence atomic radii of alkaline earth metals increase down the column also when compared with alkali metals the size of alkaline earth metals are smaller because the nuclear charge of these elements is more than alkali metals. 

 Be< Mg< Ca< Sr< Ba< Ra

  • Ionization Energy: Ionization energy or ionization enthalpy is the minimum amount of energy needed to remove electrons from the energy shells of an atom. Alkaline earth metals have low ionization energies because atoms of alkaline earth metals have a big size due to which it is difficult to take out electrons from the energy shell. The trend of ionization energies is opposite to atomic radii so ionization energies decrease as we move down the group.

Be> Mg> Ca> Sr> Ba> Ra

  • Electronegativity: Whenever an atom of an element forms a bond with an atom of some other element by sharing electron pairs then every atom tries to attract shared electron pair towards itself, this tends to attract shared pair of electrons is known as Electronegativity. Electronegativity of alkaline earth metals decreases down the group.

Be> Mg> Ca> Sr> Ba> Ra

  • Hydration Energy: Hydration energy is the amount of energy released on the hydration of one mole of ions. Hydration energy of alkaline earth metals follows the opposite trend as that of atomic size means hydration enthalpy of ions decreases down the group as atomic size increases. 

Be> Mg> Ca> Sr> Ba> Ra

Physical Properties of Alkaline Earth Metals:

  1. The appearance of alkaline earth metals is silvery white.
  2. These are soft metals.
  3. They have a higher boiling point than alkali metals.
  4. These elements can be tested by flame test as they give different colours on being exposed to flame.
  5. These metals can conduct electricity.
  6. Alkaline earth metals have high electropositivity so their nature is electropositive.
  7. Among alkaline earth metals, magnesium does not give any colour on being exposed to flame.
  8. Alkaline earth metals are good conductors of heat.
  9. The density of alkaline earth metals is greater than those of alkali metals.
  10. Among alkaline earth metals, the density of calcium is the lowest.
  11. These metals are soluble in water. 

Uses of Alkaline Earth Metals:

  1. Magnesium is used in making different types of alloys.
  2. Magnesium is also used in medicines to take antacids.
  3. Radium is used for the treatment of cancer.
  4. Calcium is used in the extraction of different elements.
  5. Barium is used in removing air from vacuum tubes.
  6. Calcium is used to make calcium carbonate which is used to make different products like chalk, marble, limestone etc.
  7. Alkaline earth metals release hydrogen gas when react with acids, this hydrogen gas can be used for other purposes.  
  8. Alkaline earth metals are used in making electro-chemical and photoelectric cells.
  9. Alloys of magnesium are used in the manufacturing of air crafts and fighter planes.
  10. Plaster of Paris is also formed from calcium and is used in decorations, designing and fireproofing.

Biological Importance of Alkaline Earth Metals

Alkaline earth metals are of great importance to both animal life as well as for plant life, these elements play more than one role in chemical and biological processes. Let's see the biological importance of all alkaline earth metals one by one.

  1. Biological Importance of Beryllium: Beryllium is used in blood samples to detect HIV and other diseases. It is also used in X-Ray experiments to make radiation windows. Beryllium mammography is a technique used to detect tumours and breast cancers.
  2. Biological Importance of Magnesium: Magnesium helps in the synthesis of proteins and the growth of cells. It plays a vital role in muscles movement and blood pressure. Magnesium provides strength to bones and teeth, it helps to cure asthma and other lung diseases. It also prevents the blood from clotting.
  3. Biological Importance of Calcium: Calcium is necessary for the strengthening of bones, it also forms cell walls and helps in the clotting of blood in case of injury. Calcium keeps the body strong and healthy.
  4. Biological Importance of Strontium: Strontium is mainly used in bones restoration as it promotes the uptake of calcium and helps in fixing cracked or broken bones by using calcium and strontium interactions. 
  5. Biological Importance of Barium: Barium is not biologically important to humans as it has toxic effects, a small amount of barium solution can cause breathing problems and it increases the heart rate and blood pressure. There is a chance of kidney and heart damage if barium is consumed.
  6. Biological Importance of Radium: Radium is radioactive and due to its toxicity there is not much biological use of Radium.

Sample Questions

Question 1: How caesium and potassium can be used for commercial purposes?

Answer: 

Caesium and Potassium have a special ability to lose electrons by absorbing energy from sunlight when light rays fall on these elements and this results in a photoelectric effect due to which caesium and potassium are used commercially as electrodes in photoelectric cells.

Question 2: Give 3 medical uses of Magnesium.

Answer: 

  • Magnesium is used in medicines to take antacids. 
  • Magnesium oxide is used in the treatment of constipation.
  • Magnesium is also used as anaesthesia when salts of magnesium are injected into the human body.

Question 3: Why Lithium has different properties from the rest of its group members?

Answer: 

There are mainly two reasons for the different properties of lithium from its group members: 

  1. Size: Atomic size of lithium is really very small
  2. Polarising power: Polarising power can be defined as the ratio of the charge of an element to the radius of that element. Lithium has high polarising power as its size is very small so the charge divided by radius gives a big number.

Question 4: Why Beryllium has different properties from the rest of its group members?

Answer: 

There are mainly two reasons for the different properties of beryllium from its group members:

  1. Size: Atomic size of beryllium is really very small as compared to other elements of the same group so it does not follow the same trends as other alkaline earth metals do.
  2. Atomic Number: As the atomic number of beryllium is 4 so its coordination number cannot be greater than 4 while other members of the same group can have a coordination number 6 also.

Question 5: Why radium do not have much biological importance?

Answer: 

Radium is radioactive in nature and due to its toxicity, there is no biological use of Radium. In the medical field, it is only used to produce radon gas which is used in the treatment of cancer. 


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Group 13 Elements: The Boron Family

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    Energy can take many forms, including kinetic energy produced by an object's movement, potential energy produced by an object's position, heat energy transferred from one object to another due to a temperature difference, radiant energy associated with sunlight, the electrical energy produced in gal
    10 min read

    Chapter 7 Equilibrium

    Equilibrium in Physical Processes
    Equilibrium exists in physical processes, just as it does in chemical reactions. The equilibrium that arises between different states or phases of a substance, such as solid, liquid, and gas, is referred to as this. Let's take a closer look at how equilibrium works in physical processes. Substances
    11 min read
    Equilibrium in Chemical Processes
    Chemical equilibrium is the state of a system in which the reactant and product concentrations do not change over time and the system's attributes do not change further. Reactions take place in both forward and reverse directions. When the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are similar in su
    7 min read
    Law of Chemical Equilibrium and Equilibrium Constant
    During a chemical process, chemical equilibrium refers to the state in which the concentrations of both reactants and products have no tendency to fluctuate over time. When the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal, a chemical reaction is said to be in chemical equilibrium. The state is known
    8 min read
    Applications of Equilibrium Constants
    When a chemical process reaches equilibrium, the equilibrium constant (usually represented by the symbol K) provides information on the relationship between the products and reactants. For example, the equilibrium constant of concentration (denoted by Kc) of a chemical reaction at equilibrium can be
    6 min read
    What is the Relation between Equilibrium Constant, Reaction Quotient and Gibbs Energy?
    A scientist was observing a reaction and at a certain point and found the concentration of reactant is equal to the concentration of product and after some time and observed color of reactant is changing, the scientist found concentration of products is greater than the concentration of reactants, f
    8 min read
    Ionic Equilibrium
    Reactants and products coexist in equilibrium, therefore reactant conversion to product is never greater than 100%. Equilibrium reactions may entail the breakdown of a covalent (non-polar) reactant or the ionisation of ionic compounds in polar solvents into their ions. This part will teach us about
    5 min read
    Acids, Bases and Salts
    Acids, Bases, and Salts are the main chemical compounds that exist in our surroundings. Acids, Bases, and Salts are compounds that occur naturally and can also be created artificially. They are found in various substances including our food. Vinegar or acetic acid is used as a food preservative. Cit
    15+ min read
    Ionization of Acids and Bases
    Ionization of a compound in Chemistry is the process by which neutral molecules are divided into charged ions in a solution. According to the Arrhenius Theory, acids are substances that dissociate in an aqueous medium to produce hydrogen ions, H+ ions, and bases are substances that dissociate in an
    6 min read
    Importance of pH in Everyday Life
    Acids, bases, and salts have an impact on chemistry as well as our daily lives. Acids have a sour flavour (the word acid comes from the Latin word ‘acere’ which means ‘sour’), bases have a bitter taste, while salts themselves have a salty taste. Citric acid is found in fruits such as oranges and lem
    13 min read
    Strength of Acids
    Acids are a molecule or other species which can donate a proton or accept an electron pair in reactions. When acids react with H2O, they create hydrogen ions; the strength of an acid is determined by the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. A higher number of hydrogen ions indicates that th
    6 min read
    Buffer Solution
    Buffer Solution is a special aqueous solution that resists the change in its pH when some quantity of acid and Base is added. Many fluids, such as blood, have specific pH values of 7.14, and variations in these values indicate that the body is malfunctioning. The change in pH of Buffer Solutions on
    10 min read
    Solubility Equilibria
    The word "solubility product" refers to inexpensively soluble salts. It is the greatest product of the molar concentration of the ions (raised to their appropriate powers) produced by compound dissociation. The solubility product is constant at any given temperature. The lower the solubility product
    5 min read

    Chapter 8 Redox Reactions

    Oxidation and Reduction Reactions
    Oxidation and Reduction reactions are simply called Redox reactions. There are chemical reactions in which the oxidation number of the chemical species involved in the reaction changes. Oxidation and reduction Reactions involve a wide variety of processes. For example, oxidation-reduction reactions
    8 min read
    Oxidation Number | Definition, How To Find, Examples
    Oxidation number is defined as the total number of electrons that an atom either gains or loses to form a chemical bond with another atom.  Let's learn about oxidation number in detail, including its rules and steps to calculate it with the help of examples. Table of Content Oxidation Number Definit
    13 min read
    Decomposition Reaction
    Have you ever wondered what happens when compounds break apart into simpler substances? Or how energy is released, and new compounds are formed? The answers to these questions lie in the concept of Decomposition Reaction. Decomposition Reactions are a key concept in the understanding of the chemical
    7 min read
    Balancing Redox Reactions
    Redox Reactions are the reaction in which oxidation and reduction occur in the same reaction. Balancing redox reactions is the process in which we balance redox reaction equations using various methods. There are generally two methods that are used to balance redox reactions that include, Oxidation
    15+ min read
    Redox Reactions and Electrode Processes
    Electrode Potential and Standard Electrode Potential are key concepts in the field of electrochemistry which is the branch of chemistry that deals with relationships between electric potential differences and observable chemical change. Electrode Potential is also used extensively in the development
    8 min read
    Effects of Oxidation Reactions in Everyday Life
    The addition of an oxygen atom to a compound is referred to as oxidation. This process's inverse is known as reduction and involves the removal of an electron. Biological oxidation is a biological process in which electrons are lost, as opposed to reduction, which involves the gain of electrons. How
    9 min read

    Chapter 9 Hydrogen

    Dihydrogen - Structure, Properties and Applications
    The lightest element is hydrogen. Under normal conditions, hydrogen is a gas composed of diatomic molecules with the formula H2. It is colourless, odourless, non-toxic, and extremely flammable. Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe, accounting for roughly 75% of all normal m
    7 min read
    Isotopes of Hydrogen
    Isotopes of an atom are variants of the same atom but with different mass numbers. That is if two atoms have the same atomic number but different mass numbers then they are called the isotopes of one another. Various examples of the isotopes are the isotopes of hydrogen, we have three different isot
    10 min read
    Hydrides
    Hydride in Chemistry is the name of a compound containing Hydrogen Anion. Hydrides are chemical compounds with one atom of hydrogen and an extra atom. Hence, they are an anion of Hydrogen. An anion is a species that has extra electrons and thus exhibits a negative charge. Thus, hydride (hydrogen ani
    6 min read
    Structure and Properties of Water
    Water is a valuable natural resource. Water is essential for the survival of all living things. We can't imagine a world without water. Water is required by animals and plants to complete their daily metabolic activities. Water is required by plants to synthesize their food through the photosynthesi
    9 min read
    Chemical Formula of Water - Structure, Properties, Uses, Sample Questions
    Hydrogen (H) has unique kind properties that are not like some other component on our planet, close to 66% of our Universe's mass is made out of this unique component. It is both electropositive as well as electronegative, as it structures hydrogen particles (H+)as well as hydride particles (H-). Hy
    4 min read
    Dihydrogen as Fuel - Definition, Uses, Examples
    Hydrogen is the first element on the modern periodic table. It has the simplest atomic structure as compared to all other elements. In atomic form, it has one proton and one electron. On the other hand, in elemental form, it exists as a diatomic (H2) molecule called dihydrogen. If Hydrogen loses its
    7 min read

    Chapter 10 S-block Elements

    Alkali Metals
    Alkali metals are the first group of s-block elements that are found on the leftmost side of the periodic table. Alkali metals are the most electropositive elements on the periodic table as they easily lose electrons. These metals formed various useful compounds with halides, oxygen, and sulfur. Alk
    11 min read
    Characteristics of the Compounds of Alkali Metals
    There are a large number of elements around us having different properties and different uses based on those properties. For using these elements, properties are important so there should be some table to group these elements. This table is known as a periodic table which is created by using the wor
    6 min read
    Anomalous Behavior of Lithium and Beryllium
    Elements are arranged in a periodic table row-wise and column-wise according to similarities in their chemical and physical properties. The elements in the first column are known as Group 1 elements which have the following elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, Caesium and Francium. All the
    8 min read
    Some Important Compounds of Sodium
    Sodium is a soft metal, it is the eleventh element in the periodic table. It is represented by the Na symbol and the atomic number of sodium is 11 it belongs to the family of s-block elements in the periodic table. Sodium is the sixth most abundant element. Its amount in the earth's crust is nearly
    7 min read
    What is Sodium Chloride? - Definition, Preparation, Properties, Uses
    Salt's chemical name is sodium chloride. Sodium is an electrolyte that regulates your body's water content. Sodium is also involved in nerve impulses and muscle contractions. Sodium chloride is a medication used to treat or prevent sodium loss caused by dehydration, excessive sweating, or other fact
    6 min read
    Alkaline Earth Metals
    Alkaline Earth Metals are Group 2 elements which includes a collection of elements Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Barium, Strontium, and Radium, which are soft silver metals with a less metallic quality than Group 1 alkali metals. All the heavier metals in Group II such as Ca, Sr, Ba, and Ra, share
    11 min read
    Characteristics of the Compounds of Alkaline Earth Metals
    All the elements that exist in nature are arranged in a periodic table after several years of research work, these are placed in groups and rows based on some predefined criteria. Some elements may not follow the criteria but still, they are placed in the same column or group due to their similariti
    8 min read
    Anomalous Behavior of Lithium and Beryllium
    Elements are arranged in a periodic table row-wise and column-wise according to similarities in their chemical and physical properties. The elements in the first column are known as Group 1 elements which have the following elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, Caesium and Francium. All the
    8 min read
    Some Important Compounds of Calcium
    Calcium is a reactive alkaline earth metal that when exposed to the air generates a black oxide-nitride coating. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to those of strontium and barium, its heavier homologues. After iron and aluminium, it is the fifth most abundant element in the Eart
    7 min read
    Plaster of Paris
    Plaster of Paris is a well-known chemical compound that is widely used in sculpting materials and gauze bandages. While we have seen numerous applications of this substance in our daily lives, Plaster of Paris is a white powdered chemical compound that is hydrated calcium sulphate that is typically
    8 min read
    Biological Importance of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals
    Elements are arranged in a periodic table row-wise and column-wise according to similarities in their chemical and physical properties. The elements in the first column are known as Group 1 elements which have the following elements lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, Caesium and Francium. All the
    10 min read
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