Experts why Beryllium is an exception - Chemistry - The s-Block Elements

Question

Experts why Beryllium is an exception?

Vartika Jain · Accepted Answer

Dear
Student,

The group-2 of periodic table is known as alkaline earth metal It
includes Be, Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba and Ra Among them Be show
characteristic differences in property from other group
members

1)Be form
covalent compounds while other member form ionic
compound

2)
BeO is amphoteric
in nature

3) Be does not
react with water even at high
temperature

4)
Beryllium
carbide reacts with water to give methane whereas carbides of other
alkaline earth metals gives acetylene
gas

Be2C
+ 4H2O → 2Be
(OH)2 +
CH4

Mg2C2 +
2H2O → Mg
(OH)2 +
C2H2

CaC2 +
2H2O → Ca
(OH)2 +
C2H2

Reason for
exceptional behaviour of Be is its smaller size, high effective
nuclear charge, absence of d-orbital These facts make it different
from other members of alkaline earth metals Hence it is not called
alkaline earth metal

Regards,