Which one of these elements will form ions most readily. Give reasons.

Question

The metal of Group 2 in the periodic table from top to bottom are Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba.

 Which one of these elements will form ions most readily. Give reasons. 

Answer 1

 In group 2, the atomic size increases down the group. As the atomic size increases, the nuclear charge decreases. Due to this, electrons of the outermost shell lie further away from the nucleus making the removal of electrons easy. So, Ba will form ions readily.