Playbook
Elements of Group 1 and 2
37 q - 0.92/paper - never HARD. Group trends and the lithium and beryllium anomalies.
- Questions in the bank
- 37
- q/paper (2024–25 papers)
- 0.92
- Tagged HARD
- 0%
- Subtopics
- 3
Strand: Recall
When you’ll see it
An alkali or alkaline-earth metal's trend, an anomaly of lithium or beryllium, or an industrial process by name.
How this chapter is tested
37 q at 0.92 a paper, and never a HARD question. Trends down the groups (22 q): size and reactivity rise, ionisation enthalpy falls. Lithium and beryllium are the exceptions — small, highly polarising ions — which explains most of what is asked about them.
Industrial processes and minerals (15 q): the Solvay process for sodium carbonate, the chlor-alkali cell, and the ores of the group-2 metals.
The sub-skills
The distinct skills inside the chapter, in the order to learn them.
Trends
Down a group: atomic size up, ionisation enthalpy down, reactivity up.
Anomalies
Li resembles Mg, Be resembles Al (diagonal relationship); both form covalent compounds.
Processes
Solvay (Na₂CO₃), Castner–Kellner (NaOH), and the uses of plaster of Paris and quicklime.
Traps to expect
Distractor shapes this chapter reuses. The Traps page covers the patterns that cut across chapters.
Solubility trends reverse
Group-2 sulphates grow LESS soluble down the group, hydroxides MORE soluble.
Lithium's carbonate
Li₂CO₃ decomposes on heating, unlike the other alkali-metal carbonates — a diagonal-relationship effect.
Learn it before you drill it
This chapter has full teaching notes — foundations, worked examples, self-checks and a per-subtopic mastery checkpoint. Read the notes once, then drill subtopic by subtopic below.
Elements of Group 1 and 2 notesDrill every elements of group 1 and 2 question
37 questions from the bank, scoped to 3 bundled subtopics.
Drill one subtopic at a time
The 3 subtopics this playbook covers, in catalog order.
Related playbooks
Often paired with this one — the technique, the trap or the taxonomy overlaps. Drill these next.