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Strontium Nitrate

Strontium has a greater ionic radius than beryllium since it is affected by more electrostatic forces of attraction due to more protons in its nucleus and more electron shells.

Beryllium nitrate

Beryllium has a smaller ionic radius than strontium, since there is less electron shells. Therefor the nucleus is less shielded, due to there being less shielding on the nucleus there is more affective nuclear attraction.

Nitrate bond

Thermal decomposition

The bond is weakend due to polarisation of the electron cloud by the cation.

Group 2 nitrates undergo thermal decomposition to produce a metal oxide (white), nitrogen dioxide (brown) and oxgen gas (colourless).

Thermally stable

Group 2 nitrates become more thermally stable down the group. Since the ionic radius of the metal ion increases, this will reduce the distortion to the NO3^ - electron cloud. This means you polarize the electron cloud less, producing stronger ionic bonds.

Nitrate bond picture

The balls from top to bottom represent group 2 metals. The polarising power distortes more of the electron cloud as it increasers up the group since the ions are smaller are more polarizing. They also show a degree of covalent charecteristics since there is greater overlap of the electron cloud.

However as you go down the group there is less distortion to the electron cloud and since you are not polarizing the NO3^-. Since the ions are now bigger they are less polarizing, this means the nitrate ion is not having it's electron cloud distorted and you get a stronger ionic bond.

Trends in thermal decomposition of group 2 nitrates - WHY?

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