🔹 Basic Information

• Element Name: Magnesium
• Discovered By: Sir Humphry Davy
• Year of Discovery: 1808
• Category: Alkaline Earth Metal
• Group: 2 (Group IIA)
• State at Room Temperature: Solid (silvery-white metal) ⚙️

Magnesium is a shiny, lightweight metal that’s essential for both technology and biology. It belongs to the alkaline earth metals, which are known for being reactive but stable in solid form.

🔸 Chemical Properties

• Chemical Symbol: Mg
• Atomic Number: 12
• Atomic Mass: ~24.31 u
• Valency: 2
• Electronic Configuration: [Ne] 3s²

Magnesium has two outer electrons, making it quite reactive, especially with acids and oxygen. It forms compounds like magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium chloride (MgCl₂).

📘 Basic Things to Know

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth’s crust and plays a key role in the human body, especially for muscles and nerves. 💪🧠

It’s also known for its bright white flame when burned — which is why it’s used in fireworks and flares. It reacts slowly in air but quickly in steam or acids.

🤔 Interesting Facts

• The name “magnesium” comes from Magnesia, a region in Greece where it was first found. 🇬🇷
• It burns with a brilliant white light, making it useful in photography and pyrotechnics. ✨
• Magnesium is essential to plants — it’s a key part of chlorophyll, the green pigment used in photosynthesis. 🌿
• Humans need magnesium for over 300 biological reactions in the body.
• Milk of magnesia, a common medicine, contains magnesium and helps with digestion.

🔧 Common Uses

• Alloys: Mixed with aluminium and zinc to make lightweight, strong metals for airplanes and cars. ✈️🚗
• Construction: Used in fire-resistant materials and building panels.
• Electronics: Magnesium is used in laptop bodies and camera parts due to its strength and low weight. 💻📸
• Medicine: Found in antacids, laxatives, and supplements for muscle and nerve health. 🩺
• Fireworks & Flares: Burns brightly, making it great for signal flares and flash photography.

📚 Conclusion

Magnesium may be light, but it’s a heavyweight in both science and life. It powers our bodies, strengthens metals, and even lights up the night sky. For students, magnesium shows how chemistry supports everything from biology to engineering, making it one of the most versatile elements to learn about! 🔬⚡