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Group 2 hydroxides are sparingly soluble and basic.
Group 2 hydroxides, also known as alkaline earth metal hydroxides, are compounds formed by the reaction of Group 2 metals with water. These hydroxides have the general formula MOH, where M represents the metal ion. The solubility of Group 2 hydroxides decreases down the group, with beryllium hydroxide being the least soluble and barium hydroxide being the most soluble. This is due to the increase in ionic radius and lattice energy down the group.
The basicity of Group 2 hydroxides also increases down the group. This is because the metal ion becomes more electropositive and the hydroxide ion becomes more nucleophilic down the group. This results in a stronger attraction between the metal ion and the hydroxide ion, leading to a stronger base. The basicity of Group 2 hydroxides can be measured using their pKa values, which decrease down the group.
Overall, Group 2 hydroxides are sparingly soluble and basic. Their solubility decreases and basicity increases down the group due to changes in ionic radius, lattice energy, and electropositivity of the metal ion, as well as the nucleophilicity of the hydroxide ion.
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