Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Magnesium is classified as an alkaline earth metal. With which group of elements is magnesium most likely to react most vigorously?
A
Noble gases (Group 18)
B
Alkali metals (Group 1)
C
Halogens (Group 17)
D
Transition metals (Groups 3–12)
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the position of magnesium in the periodic table: magnesium is an alkaline earth metal located in Group 2.
Recall that elements tend to react most vigorously with elements that have complementary electron configurations, often those that can easily gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable octet.
Understand that alkaline earth metals like magnesium tend to lose two electrons to form a +2 charge, so they react most vigorously with elements that readily gain two electrons or one electron per atom to form stable anions.
Recognize that halogens (Group 17) have seven valence electrons and need one more electron to complete their octet, making them highly reactive with metals like magnesium that can donate electrons.
Conclude that magnesium will react most vigorously with halogens (Group 17) because magnesium donates electrons and halogens accept electrons, leading to the formation of ionic compounds.