Question

Which of the following statements about the elements, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba and their compounds is true?

• A. Solubility of the hydroxides in water increases with increasing atomic number
• B. Thermal stability of the carbonates increases with increasing atomic number
• C. All given elements react with water or steam to give hydrogen
• D. Metal chlorides are all liquids at room temperature

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B)

Solubility of the hydroxides in water increases with increasing atomic number
Thermal stability of the carbonates increases with increasing atomic number

Except $BeC{O}_3$, all the carbonates are stable towards heat and thermal stability of the carbonates increases with increasing atomic number.
Mg reacts only with hot water and Ca, Sr, Ba reacts with cold water but not as energetically as alkali metals.
All of the alkali halides and alkaline earth halides are solids at room temperature and have melting points in the hundreds of degrees centigrade.