Chemical and Physical Properties of Magnesium

The element magnesium is an important ingredient of many compounds and also alloys that are extensively used in numerous objects that we use in our day-to-day lives. The term 'Magnesium' is derived from the Greek word, Magnesia, which is the name of the place from which it was extracted. Magnesium is closely related to manganese and magnetite. Let's take a look at the facts about magnesium which reveal the chemical and physical properties of magnesium.

Chemical Properties of Magnesium

Magnesium is located among the alkaline earth metals on the periodic table. This element belongs to the group 2 and period 3 of the periodic table and has the atomic number 12. The average atomic mass of the element magnesium is 24.305. Its boiling point is 1090 degrees Celsius or 1994 degrees Fahrenheit. The metal also displays a very good conductivity of heat and electricity. It must be noted that Magnesium is a very reactive metal and does not exist in a free state in nature. It reacts with a slow pace with cold water and at a very rapid pace with hot water. The oxidation process of magnesium is very rapid and if kept in open, a layer of oxidized magnesium is formed on the surface of the metal. Magnesium also burns very rapidly, when it is at room temperature. This burning process is very furious as it produces a blinding white light. This metal also reacts with almost all the acids and alkalies, forming a variety of different compounds and by products. Another important property of magnesium is that it actively reacts with many non-metals such as nitrogen, phosphorous, chlorine, sulfur, bromine, iodine and fluorine. Magnesium also readily reacts with some other compounds such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide.

Physical Properties of Magnesium

Magnesium has an appearance of a silvery and white shade. Among all the structural metals, magnesium is the lightest. The structural metals are generally used to build massive structures and buildings. Magnesium however is rarely used in the structures in its free form due to its reactive properties. It is, in such cases, used as an alloy. This metal can be fabricated very easily. Pieces of magnesium can be welded, molded, cut and shaped according to the requirements. About 2.1 percent of the earth's crust contains magnesium. This volume makes magnesium the 6th most found element. One of the biggest deposits of magnesium is found in the sea water. It has been calculated by the scientists, that a cubic mile of of seawater contains about six million tonnes of magnesium. As mentioned in the chemical properties, magnesium is also present in many other compounds like dolomite, magnesium carbonate that is also known as magnesite and magnesium sulfate which is also known by the name epsomite.

Turkey ranks the first among the magnesium-producing nations. Magnesium is also produced and exported by some other nations like North Korea, Russia, China, Austria, Slovakia etc. In the United States of America, magnesium is derived from the sea water, by using a different technology.

Many us do not probably know this fact that magnesium is also required by the human body for effective functioning. This mineral is prominently present in bones and body cells. The intake of magnesium that is required is very low and principally comes through the molecules of chlorophyll that are prominently present in green, leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fruits like figs, bananas and artichokes. A deficiency of magnesium causes a number of health problems including muscle weakness, disturbed blood sugar levels, rapid heartbeats, hyperthyroidism, gastrointestinal disorder, renal diseases, sleep disorders and mental disorders.