Differences between alkali and alkaline earth metals:
Alkali metals are on the first group of the periodic table and alkaline earth are on the second group.
Physical properties:
Alkali metals are soft and have low melting points, alkaline metals instead, are harder and have higher melting points
Chemical properties: here we talk about bonding with carbon and solubility
Alkali metals combine with C to form carbides and alkaline metals too.
Alkali metals combined with oxygen and/or group 16 or 17 elements are soluble in water. Alkaline metals combined with oxygen and group 16 are slightly soluble in water, but group 17 are soluble in water.
Magnetism:
Alkali metals are paramagnetic which means they can be attracted to a magnetic field and alkaline metals are diamagnetic, which means the opposite to paramagnetic.
Electron Configuration:
Alkali metals have only one electron in the last shell and alkaline metals have 2 electrons.
