

Magnesium compounds were first discovered in a region of Greece known as Magnesia. The Mg and Al atoms are inserted into this array in an ordered fashion. Its official chemical symbol is Mg, and its atomic number is 12, which means that magnesium has 12 protons in it nucleus. You can see in the dot structure that the two atoms share four different electrons. Magnesium is a chemical element a substance that contains only one type of atom. The name magnesium comes from Magnesia, a district of Thessaly/Greece were it was first found and to this present day a lot of magnesium ore is present in the area. Magnesium (Mg) is able to bond with one oxygen (O) atom. Davy's first suggestion for a name was magnium but the name magnesium is now used. Nearly 200 years after the first discovery, Davy electrolysised a mixture of magnesia (magnesium oxide, MgO) and mercuric oxide (HgO). It was soon isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1778 (to 1829). Magnesium was first recognized as an element in 1755 by Joseph Black. The farmer soon noticed that the water was healing scratches and rashes and it was later discovered that the water had Magnesium in it. A farmer, Henry Wicker, was attempting to give his cows water from the well before they refused to drink it. Any atom that doesn’t have 12 protons is not magnesium. For example, if an atom has 13 protons, it will no longer be magnesium, but will instead be aluminium. So for an atom to be known as a magnesium atom, it must have 12 protons. The key difference between magnesium atom and magnesium ion is that magnesium atom contains 12 electrons and it is a neutral chemical species, whereas magnesium ion contains 10 electrons and it is a positively charged chemical species. Answer (1 of 4): Magnesium has an atomic number of 12. Magnesium ion is the basic structural unit of ionic magnesium compounds. Magnesium was discovered in 1618 in England by accident. Magnesium atom is the basic structural unit of the magnesium chemical element. Without magnesium photosynthesis could not take place, and life as we know it would not exist. Chlorophyll is a magnesium-centred porphyrin complex. Chlorophyll is the chemical that allows plants to capture sunlight, and photosynthesis to take place. Magnesium is an essential element in both plant and animal life. Also a s magnesium ignites easily in air and burns with a bright light, it’s used in flares, fireworks and sparklers.

It is used to make strong lightweight alloys and is also used in flashbulbs and pyrotechnics because it burns with a brilliant white flame. Magnesium is a s ilver-white alkaline earth metal.
