Chemistry Assignment Help >> S Block Elements, Characteristics & Properties Assignment Help

The s-block of the elements in periodic table consists of the first two groups: the alkaline earth metals and alkali metals and hydrogen and helium.

The s-block elements are distinguished by the property that in the atomic ground state, the highest-energy electron is found in an s-orbital., These electrons are very easily lost to form positive ions except in helium and hydrogen. The helium configuration is chemically exceedingly stable and thus helium has no known stable compounds; thus it is grouped with the noble gases.

The other s-block elements are all extremely powerful reducing agents, that they never occur naturally in the free state. The s-block metals vary from extremely soft for example all the alkali metals to quite hard (beryllium). With the exception of magnesium and beryllium, the metals are very reactive for any structural use except as minor components (<2%) of alloys with lead. Magnesium and beryllium and though very expensive, are valuable for uses that require lightness and strength. They are valuable as reducing agents to extract zirconium, titanium, thorium and tantalum from their ores, and have other uses as reducing agents in organic chemistry.

All the s-block metals are very dangerous fire hazards which require special extinguishants to extinguish, except for magnesium and beryllium, storage must be under either inert liquid hydrocarbon or argon. They react with water to liberate hydrogen, except for magnesium, reacts slowly, and beryllium, which reacts when amalgamated with mercury to destroy the oxide film. Lithium has similar properties to magnesium due to the diagonal relationship with magnesium in the periodic table.

S-block elements and their characteristic properties

1. Metallic characteristics
2. Low electronegativity
3. Ionic bond in fixed oxidation state
4. Basic oxides and hydroxides
5. Flame colours

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