$NaHCO_3$

$NaHSO_3$

$LiHCO_3$

$CaCO_3$

Na and excess of $NH_3$

K and excess of $O_2$

Cu and dilute $HNO_3$

$O_2$ and 2-­ethylanthraquinol

The hydration enthalpies of group 2 ions are considerably larger than group 1 ions.

Like alkali metal ions hydration enthalpies of alkaline earth metal ions decrease with increase in ionic size down the group

The density of alkali metals increases from Li to Cs.

2NaOH + CuCl2 → 2NaCl + Cu(OH)2

Ca

Ba

Mg

Li

$Al_2O_3$

$SiO_2$

$Fe_2O_3$

$CaO$

$BeCO_3$ is kept in atmosphere of $CO_2$ since it is least thermally stable.

$Be$ dissolves in alkali forming $\left[Be\left(OH\right)_4\right]^{2^-}$ .

$BeF_2$ forms complex in with $NaF$ in which $Be$ goes with cation.

$BeF_2$ forms complex ion with $NaF$ in which $Be$ goes with anion.

LiCl

NaCl

KCl

CsCl

In a flame test, sodium and its compounds glow yellow because the excited 3s electrons of sodium emit a photon when they fall from 3p to 3s; the wavelength of this photon corresponds to the D line at about 589.3 nm.

²²Na has a half-life of 2.6 years and ²⁴Na, a half-life of 15 hours; all other isotopes have a half-life of less than one minute

Metallic sodium was first produced commercially in the late 19th century by carbothermal reduction of sodium carbonate at 1100 °C, as the first step of the Deville process for the production of aluminium:

Na₂CO₃ + 2 C → 2 Na + 3 CO

Like the other alkali metals, sodium dissolves in ammonia and some amines to give deeply colored solutions; evaporation of these solutions leaves a shiny film of metallic sodium. The solutions contain the coordination complex (Na(NH₃)₆)⁺, with the positive charge counterbalanced by electrons as anions; cryptands permit the isolation of these complexes as crystalline solids.

Sodium is third-most dense of all elemental metals and is one of only three metals that can sink in water, the other two being lithium and potassium

It is a soft solid with a high melting point, and can be easily cut with a knife.

The color of potassium in flame test is lilac; invisible through cobalt blue glass

Naturally occurring $40_K$ has a half-life of $1.250\times10^{10\ }$ years.

2 KF + CaC2 → 2 K + CaF2 + 2 C (Griesheimer process)

During storage, potassium forms peroxides and superoxides. These peroxides may react violently with organic compounds such as oils. Both peroxides and superoxides may react explosively with metallic potassium.

The most reactive of all metals, it is pyrophoric and reacts with water even at −116 °C (−177 °F).

In 1967, acting on Einstein's proof that the speed of light is the most constant dimension in the universe, the International System of Units used two specific wave counts from an emission spectrum of caesium-133 to co-define the second and the metre. Since then, caesium has been widely used in highly accurate atomic clocks.

It gives violet color in flame test.

Because of its large size, Cs⁺ usually adopts coordination numbers greater than 6, the number typical for the smaller alkali metal cations.

Caesium has 40 known isotopes,

Beryllium is a steel gray and hard metal that is brittle at room temperature and has a close-packed hexagonal crystal structure. It has exceptional stiffness (Young's modulus 287 GPa) and a melting point of 1287 C.

BeF2 has a silica-like structure with corner-shared BeF₄ tetrahedra. BeCl2 and BeBr2 have chain structures with edge-shared tetrahedra

It shows diagonal relationship with almunium.

BeSO4 is fairly soluble in water.