Usually calcium, strontium, and barium, the heaviest members of group 2 of the periodic table (excepting radium). Other members of the group are beryllium, magnesium, and radium, sometimes included among the alkaline-earth metals. Beryllium resembles aluminum more than any other element, and magnesium behaves more like zinc and cadmium. The gap between beryllium and magnesium
Any compound having highly basic properties, strong acrid taste, and ability to neutralize acids. Aqueous solutions of alkalies are high in hydroxyl ions, have a pH above 7, and turn litmus paper from red to blue. Caustic alkalies include sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), the sixth-largest-volume chemical produced in the United States, and potassium hydroxide. They are
An organic compound that contains one or more closed rings of carbon atoms. The term alicyclic specifically excludes carbocyclic compounds with an array of n-electrons characteristic of aromatic rings. Compounds with one to five alicyclic rings of great variety and complexity are found in many natural products such as steroids.and terpenes. By far the majority