Magnesium elemental properties

The properties of the head element of a main group in the periodic table resemble those of the second element in the next group. Discuss this diagonal relationship with particular reference to (a) lithium and magnesium, (b) beryllium and aluminium. 

Although its electrical conductivity is only about 60% that of copper, it is used in electrical transmission lines because of its light weight. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but it can be alloyed with small amounts of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, and other elements to impart a variety of useful properties. 

Strontium [7440-24-6] Sr, is in Group 2 (IIA) of the Periodic Table, between calcium and barium. These three elements are called alkaline-earth metals because the chemical properties of the oxides fall between the hydroxides of alkaU metals, ie, sodium and potassium, and the oxides of earth metals, ie, magnesium, aluminum, and iron. Strontium was identified in the 1790s (1). The metal was first produced in 1808 in the form of a mercury amalgam. A few grams of the metal was produced in 1860—1861 by electrolysis of strontium chloride [10476-85-4]. 

Many elemental additions to copper for strengthening and other properties also deoxidize the alloy. A side benefit of such additions is elimination of susceptibihty to hydrogen embrittlement. Such deoxidizing additions include beryllium, aluminum, siUcon, chromium, zirconium, and magnesium. 

No fewer than 14 pure metals have densities se4.5 Mg (see Table 10.1). Of these, titanium, aluminium and magnesium are in common use as structural materials. Beryllium is difficult to work and is toxic, but it is used in moderate quantities for heat shields and structural members in rockets. Lithium is used as an alloying element in aluminium to lower its density and save weight on airframes. Yttrium has an excellent set of properties and, although scarce, may eventually find applications in the nuclear-powered aircraft project. But the majority are unsuitable for structural use because they are chemically reactive or have low melting points." ... 

Table 6-VI11 presents some properties of the elements we are considering. The first three, sodium, magnesium, and aluminum, are metallic. The melting points and boiling points are high and increase as we go from element to element. This trend reflects stronger and stronger bonding and it is paralleled by a decrease in the atomic volume.

Industrial production media must also contain sources of potassium, phosphorous and magnesium. Trace elements may also have to be added. The water used for medium preparation will be from the public water supply or other readily available source. The quality of the water is carefully monitored because the presence of certain metal salts, for example, calcium, copper and iron, can have adverse effects on both the growth of the oiganism and the rheological properties of the exopolysaccharides. 

Though the element was discovered in 1789 it was not prepd in the pure state until 1914. It may be prepd commercially by the reaction of zirconium chloride with magnesium (the Kroll process) and other methods. The principle ore is zircon, deposits of which are found in the USA, Australia and Brazil. A number of special properties, such as exceptional resistance to corrosion and a low absorption cross section, have led to the use of Zr or alloys contg Zr, in many... 

Apart from the three broad categories of student conceptions discussed above, students displayed several inappropriate conceptions relating to the stractural properties of substances. For example, 14% of students suggested that Mg + ions were present in magnesium ribbon. A second example involved the chemical reaction between copper(II) oxide powder and dilute sulphuric acid. In this instance, 25% of students suggested that Cu + ions were present only in aqueous solution but not in the solid and liquid states. This view was rather unexpected because students had earlier been introdnced to ionic and covalent compounds. It is likely that students had merely rote-learned the general rale without sufficient understanding that ionic solids are formed between metallic and non-metallic elements. 

Although zinc is formally a 4-block element, some of its chemical properties are similar to those of the alkaline earth metals, especially those of magnesium. This is mainly due to zinc s exclusive exhibition of the +2 oxidation state in all its compounds and its appreciable electropositive character. With a standard potential of —0.763 V, zinc is considerably more electropositive than copper and cadmium. 

Some physical and chemical properties of the alkaline earth metals are shown in Table II. It can be seen that beryllium is significantly different from the elements below it in the periodic table in most respects. The fact that the density of beryllium is greater than that of magnesium is perhaps surprising, but can be understood by noting that magnesium is both a more massive and a larger atom. The density of beryllium is to be compared to that of iron (7.9 g cm-3), titanium (4.5 g cm-3), and aluminum (2.7 g cm-3). 

The electon configuration of an element determines its chemical properties. For the elements sodium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, and argon, provide evidence that illustrates this statement and show how the evidence supports the statement. 

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