What is the trend in the lattice energies of alkaline earth metal oxides? Here are the lattice energies (in kJ/mol): MgO -3795, CaO -3414, SrO -3217, BaO -3029.

Verified step by step guidance

1. <Identify the alkaline earth metals involved: magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba).>
2. <Recognize that lattice energy is the energy required to separate one mole of an ionic solid into its gaseous ions.>
3. <Observe the given lattice energies: MgO (-3795 kJ/mol), CaO (-3414 kJ/mol), SrO (-3217 kJ/mol), BaO (-3029 kJ/mol).>
4. <Note the trend in lattice energies: as you move down the group from MgO to BaO, the lattice energy becomes less negative, indicating a decrease in lattice energy.>
5. <Understand that this trend is due to the increasing ionic size of the metal cations as you move down the group, which results in a decrease in the electrostatic attraction between the ions.>