Alkaline Earth Metals are the chemical elements of Group 2 in periodic table. The 2nd group elements include Alkaline Earth Metals like beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. They are explained below.

Beryllium – What is it?

Metallic beryllium, atomic number 4, was not produced until 1828, three decades after its discovery In 1798 by the French scientist L.N. Vauquelin as a constituent of the minerals beryl and emerald. A mill in Utah is the only one which commercially extracts beryllium from its ores. Chemical symbol is Be. X-rays easily pass through beryllium. For this reason, the metal is used to make small windows in x-ray tubes. Beryllium's light weight and its capacity for conducting large amounts of heat make it useful for specialized parts in satellites, missiles and rockets. An alloy of beryllium and copper is used to make electrical parts, such as electrically conducting springs. Beryllium oxide is a good conductor of heat but a bad conductor of electricity. It is therefore used as a heat conducting electrical insulator in electronic devices and lasers.

Magnesium – What is it?

Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg. It is a silver-white metal best known for its lightness. Magnesium is considered as the lightest metal which is strong enough for use in construction. The weight of Magnesium is only about two-thirds of aluminium, which is further widely used light metal. Magnesium was discovered in 1808 by the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy. Magnesium is a fairly abundant metallic element. However, pure magnesium does not occur in nature. Various minerals contain magnesium compounds. A few of these compounds, primarily magnesium chloride and magnesium sulphate occur in dissolved form in sea water and in some pools of underground water.

Calcium – What is it?

Calcium, atomic number is 20 and atomic weight is 40.08. It is a silver white metal and one of the most widely distributed elements. It was discovered by an English chemist named Sir Humphry Davy in the year 1808. It is stable in dry air but in the presence of moisture emits hydrogen gas. It is widely used to improve the physical properties of iron and steel, as well as a component of many alloys. Its chemical symbol is 'Ca'. Calcium and its compounds have many industrial uses. Various industrial processes such as leather tannin and petroleum refining, involve calcium oxide (CaO). Calcium fluoride and calcium sulphate are used in making cement and plaster for construction work.

Strontium – What is it?

Strontium, atomic number 37, is a silver-white metal which is soft as lead, ductile and malleable. It was discovered in 1790 by the Irish physician Adair Crawford. The metallic element was isolated in 1808 by the English chemist Sir Humphry Davy. It occurs as a sulfate or carbonate and the best sources ore found in England. The largest use is in flares, fire-works and tracer bullets as well as lubricants and luminescent paint. Chemical symbol is Sr.

Barium – What is it?

A soft ductile metal, barium, atomic number 56, occurs normally as a sulphate. It was discovered in 1808 by the English scientist Sir. Humphry Davy. Georgia and Tennessee are the main states producing it. Barium is used to eliminate the oxygen from electronic vacuum tubes. Chemical symbol is Ba.

Radium – What is it?

Radium is a chemical element with symbol Ra. It is a highly radioactive metal. It occurs chiefly in uranium and thorium ores. The French physicists Marie and Pierre Curie and a co-worker, Gustave Bemont discovered radium in 1898 while processing pitchblende, a uranium ore. Before the mid-1950's, radium was widely used for treating cancer. It also was a key ingredient in fluorescent paint used for watch and instrument dials. Today, safer and cheaper sources of radiation have replaced radium for most medical and industrial uses. These sources include the isotope cobalt 60, particle accelerators and x-ray machines. Radium releases large amounts of high-energy radiation, which can be harmful to human health. The element resembles calcium chemically and so it tends to accumulate in the bones after being absorbed by the body. The radiation given off by radium bombards the bone marrow and destroys tissue that produces red blood cells. It also can cause bone cancer.