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Magnesium

 Magnesium 

Symbol: Mg 

Atomic Number: 12

 Atomic Weight: 24.305 

Classification: Alkaline earth metal

 Phase at Room Temperature: Solid 

Density: 1.738 grams per cm cubed 

Melting Point: 650°C, 1202°F 

Boiling Point: 1091°C, 1994°F 

Discovered by: Joseph Black in 1755.

 Isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808. 

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal and is the second element located in the second row of the periodic table. It is the eighth most abundant element on Earth. Magnesium atoms have 12 electrons and 12 protons. There are two valence electrons in the outer shell. 

Characteristics and Properties

 In standard conditions magnesium is a light metal with a silvery-white color. When exposed to air, magnesium will tarnish and become protected by a thin layer of oxide. When coming into contact with water, magnesium will react and produce hydrogen gas. If submerged in water, you will see gas bubbles start to form. Magnesium burns with a very bright white light. At one time magnesium powder was used to produce a bright flash for photography. 

Where is magnesium found on Earth?

 Magnesium is fairly abundant on Earth in compounds and is found in over 60 different minerals in the Earth's crust. Some of the most important minerals include dolomite, magnesite, talc, and carnallite. The compound magnesium oxide (MgO) is the second most abundant compound in the Earth's crust making up around 35% of the crust by weight. A significant amount of Magnesium is also found dissolved in ocean water. In ocean water it takes the form of the cation Mg2+. A lot of commercial magnesium used in the United States comes from a process using electrolysis to extract it from sea water. 

How is magnesium used today? 

One of the main uses of magnesium metal is in metal alloys. This is because it is both strong and light. It is often mixed with aluminum, zinc, manganese, silicon, and copper to make strong and light alloys for use as automobile parts, aircraft components, and missiles. Magnesium metal is also used in electronic components. Its light weight and good electrical properties make it a good element for use in cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, and other handheld electronic components. Another application of magnesium is in various compounds. Some compounds are used as medicines such as magnesium hydroxide which used to help indigestion (Milk of Magnesia) and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) which is used in baths to soothe sore muscles. The human body needs magnesium for good health. It is used to make proteins, strong bones, and to regulate the body's temperature. 

How was it discovered? 

Scottish chemist Joseph Black first demonstrated in 1755 that the substance magnesia alba was a compound of different elements, one of them being magnesium. The element was first isolated by English chemist Sir Humphry Davy in 1808. Where did magnesium get its name? 

Magnesium gets its name from the district of Magnesia in Greece where the compound magnesium carbonate was first found. 

Isotopes

 Magnesium has three stable isotopes including magnesium-24, magnesium-25, and magnesium-26.

 Interesting Facts about Magnesium

 For many years magnesium was thought to be the same element as calcium. 

A magnesium fire is very difficult to put out as it can burn in nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and water.

 It is used in flares and fireworks because of its bright white light when it burns.

 If you pour water on a magnesium fire, it will only make the fire worse.

 Magnesium is sometimes used to help shorten the length of migraine headaches.

Famous Chemists

 Famous Chemists

 Scientists who specialize in the area of chemistry are called chemists. There have been many famous chemists throughout history who have made discoveries and breakthroughs that have changed the world. Here are just a few of them: 

Amedeo Avogadro (1776 - 1856) 

Amedeo Avogadro was an Italian scientist who came up with Avogadro's law which states that equal volumes of all gases contain the same number of molecules when under the same conditions of pressure and temperature. The Avogadro constant was named after him. 

Jons Jacob Berzelius (1779 - 1848) 

Jons Jacob Berzelius was a Swedish chemist who is most famous for helping to develop the notation for writing chemical formulas. He also played a role in discovering and isolating many elements including silicon, thorium, cerium, and selenium. Many chemical terms are credited to Berzelius such as "allotrope" and "catalysis." He is called the father of Swedish chemistry. 

Robert Boyle (1627 - 1691) 

Robert Boyle is often considered the first modern chemist and one of the founders of chemical science. He also pioneered the scientific method. He developed Boyle's Law which states that, under a closed system with constant pressure, the pressure and volume of a gas are inversely proportional. 

Marie Curie (1867-1934)

 Marie Cure was a Polish chemist who coined the term radioactivity. She also discovered the elements polonium and radium. She was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize and won the award twice, once for physics in 1903 and again for chemistry in 1911. The unit for measuring radioactivity, the Curie, is named after her and her husband Pierre. Go here to learn more about Marie Curie. 

John Dalton (1766 - 1844) 

John Dalton was an English chemist who helped to develop the atomic theory about atoms and elements. In 1803 he presented the first list of atomic weights for a number of substances. Dalton is also known for his work researching color blindness. 

Sir Humphry Davy (1778 - 1829)

 Sir Humphry Davy is best known for using electrolysis to isolate and discover many elements. He is credited with isolating or discovering sodium, calcium, boron, barium, magnesium, iodine, chlorine, and potassium. He also invented a safety lamp for miners called the Davy lamp. 

Rosalind Franklin (1920 - 1958) 

Rosalind Franklin was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the discovery of the DNA double helix. Her X-ray diffraction image of DNA played an important role in its discovery. She also performed important research into the polio and TMV viruses. 

Antoine Lavoisier (1743 - 1794) 

Antoine Lavoisier was a French chemist who is sometimes referred to as the "father of modern chemistry". He developed the "law of conservation of mass" which states that for any closed system, the mass of the system must remain constant over time. He also proved that sulfur was an element and named the elements oxygen and hydrogen. 

Dmitri Mendeleyev (1834 - 1907) 

Dmitri Mendeleyev was a Russian chemist who came up with the first periodic table of the elements which he published in 1865. He was able to predict the discovery of many more elements using the table. 

Alfred Nobel (1833 - 1896)

 Alfred Nobel was a Swedish chemist and inventor who invented dynamite. He was a prolific inventor and held 350 patents. He is perhaps most famous for starting the Nobel Prize. The element nobelium is named after Alfred Noble.