Magnesium

Magnesium is a chemical element in the periodic table with the chemical symbol Mg and is part of the alkaline earth metal group in the periodic table. This metal, which is located in the second group and third row of the periodic table, has an atomic number of 12 and a mass number of 24. This metal is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, the third most abundant element soluble in seawater, and the eleventh most abundant element in the human body.

Magnesium is a light-weight, gray-white metal with a density about two-thirds that of aluminum. Among the alkaline earth metals, it has the lowest melting and boiling points, at 649 and 1089 degrees Celsius, respectively.

This element darkens slightly when exposed to air. But unlike other alkaline earth metals, it does not need to be stored in an oxygen-free environment (in oil). This is because, upon reaction with air, an oxide layer forms on it, which prevents the reaction from progressing. This element reacts with water at room temperature. However, the rate of this reaction is much slower than that of calcium.

This element darkens slightly when exposed to air. But unlike other alkaline earth metals, it does not need to be stored in an oxygen-free environment (in oil). This is because, upon reaction with air, an oxide layer forms on it, which prevents the reaction from progressing. This element reacts with water at room temperature. However, the rate of this reaction is much slower than that of calcium.

Application

Its applications include the production of mobile phones, laptops, and batteries due to the metal’s light weight and suitable mechanical and electrical properties.

Although magnesium salts are more soluble in water than calcium salts, due to their lower presence in rocks, less magnesium than calcium ions enter natural waters. Magnesium can be estimated from the difference between hardness and calcium in mg/L CaCO₃.