All the chlorides of the alkaline earth metals have similar empirical formulas, as shown in the table above. which of the following best helps to explain this observation?

Question: All the chlorides of the alkaline earth metals have similar empirical formulas, as shown in the table above. which of the following best helps to explain this observation?

The answer is The radii of atoms of alkaline earth metals increase moving down the group from Be to Ra.

The alkaline earth metals are a group of chemical elements in the periodic table with the symbol "II". They are all metals that are relatively reactive and form ionic compounds easily. The chlorides of the alkaline earth metals are ionic compounds that are formed when the alkaline earth metal reacts with chlorine gas.

The radius of an atom is the distance from the nucleus to the outermost electron shell. As you move down the group of alkaline earth metals, the atomic radius increases. This is because the electrons are further away from the nucleus and are therefore less attracted to it.

The greater the radius of the atom, the easier it is for the atom to lose electrons. This is because the outermost electron shell is farther away from the nucleus and is therefore less attracted to it.

The alkaline earth metals have two valence electrons, which are the electrons in the outermost electron shell. When the alkaline earth metal reacts with chlorine gas, the two valence electrons of the alkaline earth metal are donated to the chlorine atom. This forms an ionic bond, where the alkaline earth metal becomes a positively charged cation and the chlorine atom becomes a negatively charged anion.

The empirical formula of an ionic compound is the formula that shows the smallest whole-number ratio of the ions in the compound. The empirical formula of the chlorides of the alkaline earth metals is MX2, where M represents the alkaline earth metal and X represents the chlorine atom. This is because the alkaline earth metal donates two electrons to the chlorine atom, forming two cations for every one anion.

Therefore, the radius of the atoms of alkaline earth metals increase moving down the group from Be to Ra. This helps to explain why all the chlorides of the alkaline earth metals have similar empirical formulas.

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