
Alkaline earth metals are the elements located in group 2 of the periodic table. These elements are;
- Beryllium (Be)
- Magnesium (Mg)
- Calcium (Ca)
- Strontium (Sr)
- Barium (Ba) and
- Radium (Ra)
Let’s see a few important and interesting things about alkaline earth metals of the periodic table.
Table of contents
- What are alkaline earth metals?
- Alkaline earth metals list
- Common things about alkaline earth metals
- Electronic configuration of alkaline earth metals
What are alkaline earth metals?
Alkaline earth metals (Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Ra) are the metals that form alkaline hydroxides {Ba(OH)2 , Mg(OH)2 , Ca(OH)2 , etc} on reacting with water, and the oxide minerals of these metals (BeO, beryl, MgO, magnesite, etc) are found from the earth’s crust.
For example:
Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium and Radium, when react with water, they form hydroxides. And these hydroxides are alkaline in nature (or basic in nature, that have pH > 7).

And also, the oxides of these metals (BeO, beryl, MgO, magnesite, etc) are obtained from the earth’s crust.
Hence, these metals of group 2 are called alkaline earth metals.
Alkaline Earth Metals list
List of alkaline earth metals is mentioned below.
Atomic number | Name and symbol of element |
---|---|
4 | Beryllium (Be) |
12 | Magnesium (Mg) |
20 | Calcium (Ca) |
38 | Strontium (Sr) |
56 | Barium (Ba) |
88 | Radium (Ra) |
Common things about Alkaline Earth Metals
Alkaline earth metals have common physical properties as well as chemical properties.
- The alkaline earth metals have a similar appearance. They are silvery-white and shiny in appearance.

You can see the shiny silvery-white appearance of alkaline earth metals in the above image.
- The alkaline earth metals have similar chemical properties because they all have two valence electrons.
As the alkaline earth metals have 2 valence electrons and they lose these 2 valence electrons during a chemical reaction.
Alkaline earth metals | Atomic number (Z) | Electrons arrangement |
---|---|---|
Beryllium (Be) | 4 | 2, 2 |
Magnesium (Mg) | 12 | 2, 8, 2 |
Calcium (Ca) | 20 | 2, 8, 8, 2 |
Strontium (Sr) | 38 | 2, 8, 18, 8, 2 |
Barium (Ba) | 56 | 2, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2 |
Radium (Ra) | 88 | 2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 8, 2 |
As they lose 2 electrons, they form a cation with +2 charge.
Electronic configuration of Alkaline Earth Metals
The electron configuration of alkaline earth metals is mentioned below.
Element | Electronic configuration |
---|---|
Beryllium (Be) | [He] 2s2 |
Magnesium (Mg) | [Ne] 3s2 |
Calcium (Ca) | [Ar] 4s2 |
Strontium (Sr) | [Kr] 5s2 |
Barium (Ba) | [Xe] 6s2 |
Radium (Ra) | [Rn] 7s2 |
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