MHT-CET Chemistry · Teaching notes
Elements of Group 1 and 2 — MHT-CET Chemistry
Groups 1 and 2 is about one question a paper in MHT-CET Chemistry, and the easiest chapter of the programme: thirty-one of its thirty-seven past-year questions are EASY and none is HARD. Almost everything is a named fact, so most of the cards are tables. The one idea worth understanding is size — small Li⁺ and Be²⁺ explain nearly every exception the paper asks about. Every PYQ is tagged.
Every subtopic, worked example, formula and trap in one printable document — answers shown, ready to share.
Subtopic notes
Group 1: The Alkali Metals — Properties, Oxides and Uses
11 PYQsThe alkali metals Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs have one valence electron, form +1 ions with a noble-gas configuration, are the most electropositive elements, and become softer, lower-melting and more reactive down the group.
Group 2: The Alkaline Earth Metals and Beryllium's Anomalies
11 PYQsThe alkaline earth metals Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Ra form +2 ions; beryllium, much smaller than the rest, behaves unlike its group — it does not react with water, its oxide is amphoteric, and it resembles aluminium diagonally.
Hydrogen and H₂O₂, the Solvay Process, Minerals and Alloys
15 PYQsThe chapter's applied facts: how pure hydrogen, water gas and hydrogen peroxide are made, what the Solvay process recycles and leaves behind, and which formula or metal pair a mineral or alloy stands for.
Formula & revision sheet
0 formulas · 7 reference tables · 5 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet
Formula & revision sheet
0 formulas · 7 reference tables · 5 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet
Reference tables (2)
Watch out for (1)
- Calling M⁺ compounds paramagnetic→ Properties of the Alkali Metals
Reference tables (2)
Watch out for (2)
- Writing the beryllate as Na₂BeO₄→ Beryllium: the Anomalous First Member
- MgO only→ Magnesium, Calcium and the Ammonia Solution
Reference tables (3)
Watch out for (2)
- Picking ammonium chloride as the by-product→ The Solvay Process and Slaked Lime
- Brass or bronze→ Minerals, Alloys and Uses
PYQ weightage by concept
7 concepts · 37 PYQs — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first
PYQ weightage by concept
7 concepts · 37 PYQs — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Properties of the Alkali Metals | 6 | 16% |
| Oxides, Carbonates, Ammonia Solutions and Uses | 5 | 14% |
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Beryllium: the Anomalous First Member | 7 | 19% |
| Magnesium, Calcium and the Ammonia Solution | 4 | 11% |
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Dihydrogen, Water Gas and Hydrogen Peroxide | 6 | 16% |
| Minerals, Alloys and Uses | 6 | 16% |
| The Solvay Process and Slaked Lime | 3 | 8% |
Test yourself on Elements of Group 1 and 2
15 past MHT-CET questions from this chapter, timed at 14 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.