Chapter Nineteen the Representative Elements: Groups 1A Through 4A
CHAPTER NINETEEN THE REPRESENTATIVE ELEMENTS: GROUPS 1A THROUGH 4A For Review 1. Oxygen and silicon are the two most abundant elements in the earth’s crust, oceans, and atmosphere. Oxygen is found in the atmosphere as O2, in the oceans in H2O, and in the earth’s crust primarily in silicate and carbonate minerals. Because oxygen is everywhere, it is not too surprising that it is the most abundant element. The second most abundant element, silicon, is found throughout the earth’s crust in silica and silicate minerals that form the basis of most sand, rocks, and soils. Again, it is not too surprising that silicon is the second most abundant element, as it is involved in the composition of much of the earth. The four most abundant elements in the human body are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen. Not surprisingly, these elements form the basis for all biologically important molecules in the human body. They should be abundant. 2. Hydrogen forms many compounds in which the oxidation state is +1, as do the Group 1A elements. For example, H2SO4 and HCl compare to Na2SO4 and NaCl. On the other hand, hydrogen forms diatomic H2 molecules and is a nonmetal, while the Group 1A elements are metals. Hydrogen also forms compounds with a !1 oxidation state, which is not characteristic of Group 1A metals, e.g., NaH. 3. Alkali metals have a ns1 valence shell electron configuration. Alkali metals lose this valence electron with relative ease to form M+ cations when in ionic compounds. They all are easily oxidized. Therefore, in order to prepare the pure metals, alkali metals must be produced in the absence of materials (H2O, O2) that are capable of oxidizing them.
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