Which one of the following statements about alkaline earth metals is NOT true ?
Strontium salts burn with a red flame
Barium metal is used in medicine to examine the alimentary canal of a patient by X-ray
Green plants need magnesium in order to make the chlorophyll that trap the energy from sunlight in photosynthesis
Red colour of gemstone Ruby is due to the element beryllium present in it
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CAPF – 2020
The statement “Barium metal is used in medicine to examine the alimentary canal of a patient by X-ray” is NOT true.
For X-ray examination of the alimentary canal (Barium meal), a suspension of Barium *sulfate* (BaSO4) is used as a contrast medium. Barium sulfate is very insoluble and thus passes through the digestive system safely. Barium *metal* is highly reactive and toxic, and would react with water or acids in the body, making it unsuitable and dangerous for internal consumption or medical use in this manner.