Question

Plentiful in the earth's crust, these soft metals are silver to white in color. They are found most often bonded to elements like fluorine and zinc. Due to their 2 valence electrons their reactivity is less than their very reactive neighbors. Under a UV light these elements fluoresce and are useful in many applications. Who are they? a) Oxygen and nitrogen

b) Hydrogen and helium
c) Sodium and potassium
d) Calcium and magnesium

Answer 1

The elements described are calcium and magnesium, which are part of the Alkaline Earth Metals group, have 2 valence electrons, and are found most often bonded to elements like fluorine and zinc.

Step-by-step explanation:

The metals described in the question are plentiful in the earth's crust, have 2 valence electrons, and fluoresce under UV light. These characteristics help us determine that the correct answer is d) Calcium and magnesium. Both calcium and magnesium are part of the Group 2: The Alkaline Earth Metals, which are shiny, slivery-white, and somewhat reactive metals. Unlike their neighbors in Group 1, such as sodium and potassium, their reactivity is less due to the presence of two valence electrons that lead to a stronger binding within the metal lattice. They are found bonded to other elements such as fluorine and zinc in nature and have various applications due to their properties.