What is alkaline earth metals?

• The elements, Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, and Radium constitute Group 2 of the periodic table.
• The oxides of calcium, strontium and barium were known much earlier than the metals themselves and they are called Alkaline earths since they were alkaline and existed in the earth.
• Later when the elements were discovered they were named as alkaline earth metals.
• Radium corresponds to the alkaline earth metals in its chemical properties but, being a radioactive element, it is studied separately along with the other radioactive element

Uses of alkaline earth metals:

• Pure beryllium and beryllium oxide are used in nuclear reactors.  Beryllium is also used in alloys.
• Magnesium is used as structural material material because of its lightness and its property to from alloys with other metals.
• Calcium, strontium and barium when exposed to air get oxidised and after sometime the oxide strip off exposing fresh surface again to air and so on.  This property makes them useful as deoxidiers in the manufacture of steel.
• Radio tubes have generally an inner lining of barium metal so as to eliminate any oxygen that may be present in the tube.