alkaline-earth metal
Any of a group of six metallic elements with similar bonding properties: beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium. They form a linked group in the periodic table of the elements. They are strongly basic, bivalent (have a valency of two), and occur in nature only in compounds. Calcium and magnesium are abundant on Earth and essential for all organisms, while the other three elements are relatively rare.
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