The only strongly electropositive metal that will not form a saline hydride is what element?
I do not know what "strongly electropositive " means, but I recall Cadmium Hydride is very unstable.
To find the answer to this question, we need to understand two concepts: electropositivity of metals and saline hydrides.
1. Electropositivity of metals:
Electropositivity refers to the tendency of an element to lose electrons and form positive ions (cations) during a chemical reaction. Metals with high electropositivity readily lose electrons and form positive ions.
2. Saline hydrides:
Saline hydrides, also known as ionic hydrides, are compounds composed of a metal cation and a hydride anion (H-). These compounds form when metals react with hydrogen at high temperatures and under specific conditions.
Now, let's identify the only strongly electropositive metal that will not form a saline hydride:
Out of all the strongly electropositive metals, only one metal does not form a saline hydride. This metal is helium (He), which is an exception in this case. Though helium is a metal (in terms of its position in the periodic table), it does not form a saline hydride with hydrogen.
Helium is unique because it is an inert gas and has a fully filled electron shell (2 electrons in its 1s orbital). Due to this electron configuration, helium does not readily lose its electrons to form a cation or react with hydrogen to form a saline hydride.
Therefore, the answer to the question is helium (He).