Answer in General Chemistry for nat #279874
April 21st, 2023
Describe and suggest an explanation for the trend in the thermal decomposition of the nitrates of the Group II elements magnesium to barium, writing equations and using diagrams where appropriate
Both carbonates and nitrates of Group 2 elements become more thermally stable down the group. The larger compounds further down require more heat than the lighter compounds in order to decompose. This page offers two different explanations for these properties: polarizability and energetics.