Home > Community > How would beryllium react with HCl, and how with NaOH?
Upvote

18

Downvote
+ Inorganic chemistry
+ Chemical reactions
+ Sodium hydroxide
+ Chemistry
+ Hydrochloric acid
Posted by
Michael Lish

How would beryllium react with HCl, and how with NaOH?

David Frigault  Follow

Berilium is the FIRST MEMBER of alkaline earth metal group and thus smaller and most ELECTRONEGATIVE of all members of the group!.

Also this is adjacent metal to Li metal and thus, MORE electronegative than Li in the period.

CONSEQUENCE:— due to smaller size,It is largely AMPHOTERIC which is clearly evidenced by its reaction with both acids and bases.

NaOH:— with NaOH it appears to dissolve forming H2 gas AT (400⁰C- 500⁰C)

2NaOH( aq) + Be(s)+ 2H2O(l) → Na2[Be(OH)4](aq) + H2(g)↑

HCl(aq):— Be dissolves in mineral acids like H2SO4) HCl to form H2↑

Be(s) + 2HCl(aq) → BeCl2 (aq) + H2(g)↑

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Daisy Mcbride  Follow

Beryllium is amphoter, it reacts against acids as metal, but against bases forming an anion beryllate, BeO22-:

Be + 2 HCl > BeCl2 (more or less covalent, with BeCl4-tetrahedra) + H2

Be + 2 NaOH > Na2BeO2 + H2

That is an effect of the small radius, producing a high charge density at the surface. By all means a naked ion Be++ is to avoid…

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote