Magnesium

Element: Magnesium

Symbol: Mg

Appearance: shiny grey solid

Atomic mass: 24.305 u ± 0.0006 u

Atomic number: 12

Electron configuration: [Ne] 3s²

Melting point: 923 K (650 °C, 1202 °F)

Boiling point: 1363 K (1091 °C, 1994 °F)

Density: 1.738 g/cm³

The first person that found magnesium was Joseph Black at Edinburgh in 1755. He distinguished magnesium oxide from calcium oxide although both were produced by heating similar kinds of carbonate rocks, magnesite and limestone respectively.
In 1972, Anton Rupprecht is the first people who produced metallic magnesium by heating magnesia with charcoal., but impure form. A pure, but tiny, amount of the metal was isolated in 1808 by Humphry Davy by the electrolysis of magnesium oxide.

Because the density of magnesium is two third of the density of aluminium, people will use magnesium more often to make alloys.
Because its lightweight, it is also used in products such as laptops, cameras, and luggage.
When magnesium is burning, it will create a bright light. Therefore, people will make it into fireworks and sparklers.
Magnesium oxide is used to make heat-resistant bricks for fireplaces and furnaces.
Magnesium is an essential element in both plant and animal life. For plants, without magnesium photosynthesis could not take place because chlorophyll is a magnesium-centred porphyrin complex. For humans, magnesium is essential to the working of hundreds of enzymes. Humans take in about 250–350 milligrams of magnesium each day. We each store about 20 grams in our bodies, mainly in the bones.

The uses of magnesium.

See how important is magnesium to human body.

This page by Kevin X.

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