Magnesium (Mg)
Burns with a super bright white light, used in fireworks.
Magnesium facts
- Symbol
- Mg
- Atomic number
- 12
- Atomic mass
- 24.305
- Family
- Alkaline earth metals
- Period
- 3
- Group
- 2
Famous reactions with magnesium
- Dazzling light! Magnesium burnsMagnesium oxide 2Mg + O₂ → 2MgO · When heated · Try it
- Super fizz! Magnesium meets AcidMagnesium chloride + hydrogen gas Mg + 2HCl → MgCl₂ + H₂ · At room temperature · Try it
What does magnesium react with?
Magnesium makes a new substance with 15 other elements and chemicals in our lab:
- Magnesium + HydrogenMagnesium hydride Mg + H₂ → MgH₂ · When heated · Try it
- Magnesium + BoronMagnesium boride Mg + 2B → MgB₂ · Only in a very hot furnace · Try it
- Magnesium + NitrogenMagnesium nitride 3Mg + N₂ → Mg₃N₂ · Only when heated very strongly · Try it
- Magnesium + FluorineMagnesium fluoride Mg + F₂ → MgF₂ · At room temperature · Try it
- Magnesium + SiliconMagnesium silicide 2Mg + Si → Mg₂Si · Only in a very hot furnace · Try it
- Magnesium + PhosphorusMagnesium phosphide 3Mg + 2P → Mg₃P₂ · When heated · Try it
- Magnesium + SulfurMagnesium sulfide Mg + S → MgS · When heated · Try it
- Magnesium + ChlorineMagnesium chloride Mg + Cl₂ → MgCl₂ · At room temperature · Try it
- Magnesium + ArsenicMagnesium arsenide 3Mg + 2As → Mg₃As₂ · When heated · Try it
- Magnesium + SeleniumMagnesium selenide Mg + Se → MgSe · When heated · Try it
- Magnesium + BromineMagnesium bromide Mg + Br₂ → MgBr₂ · At room temperature · Try it
- Magnesium + TelluriumMagnesium telluride Mg + Te → MgTe · When heated · Try it
- Magnesium + IodineMagnesium iodide Mg + I₂ → MgI₂ · At room temperature · Try it
- Magnesium + PoloniumMagnesium polonide Mg + Po → MgPo · Only in a special nuclear lab (it is radioactive) · Try it
- Magnesium + WaterMagnesium hydroxide + hydrogen gas Mg + 2H₂O → Mg(OH)₂ + H₂ · At room temperature · Try it
It also blends into a mixture, like an alloy, with 74 other metals when melted together.
Nothing happens when it's simply mixed with 7 of the others. 21 pairings have never been tried, because not enough atoms have ever existed.