Alkaline earth metals are _______ reducing agents than alkali metals.

Answer

To determine whether alkaline earth metals are stronger or weaker reducing agents than alkali metals, we can follow these steps:

**Step 1: Define the Groups**
- Alkaline earth metals belong to Group 2 of the periodic table, while alkali metals belong to Group 1.

**Step 2: Understand Ionization Energy**
- Ionization energy (or ionization enthalpy) is the energy required to remove an electron from an atom. In general, the ionization energy of alkaline earth metals is higher than that of alkali metals.

**Step 3: Analyze Electrode Potential**
- The electrode potential of a metal indicates its ability to be oxidized. Alkaline earth metals have less negative electrode potentials compared to alkali metals. This means they are less inclined to lose electrons.

**Step 4: Relate to Reducing Agents**
- A reducing agent is a substance that donates electrons to another substance and gets oxidized in the process. Since alkaline earth metals have higher ionization energies and less negative electrode potentials, they are less effective at donating electrons compared to alkali metals.

**Step 5: Conclusion**
- Therefore, we conclude that alkaline earth metals are weaker reducing agents than alkali metals.

**Final Answer:**
Alkaline earth metals are weaker reducing agents than alkali metals.

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