Magnesium

This is Magnesium crystal

(Photo Credit: Periodic Table)

Atomic Number: 12
Relative Mass: 24.3
Group: 2
Period: 3
Block: S
Symbol: Mg

Magnesium is a silvery-white metal which can ignite easily with air and burns with a brilliant bright white light. It is the 8th most abundant element in the Earth and makes up 1.92% of Earth's crust (as Magnesium Oxide). It's the lightest metals for its structural application.  

Magnesium's Discovery

(Photo Credit: Edinburgh Uni)

Magnesium was discovered in the year 1755 by a Scottish chemist called Joseph Black (Shown in the picture on the left). This discovery wasn't the pure shiny metal element though - that discovery wouldn't happen for over 50 years. In fact, Joseph Black was the first chemist to recognise magnesium as an element. The chemist had separated something called magnesia, Magnesium Oxide (MgO), from lime... And no, this isn't the green citrus fruit. No, this Lime is the common name for the compound Calcium Oxide (CaO).
Another magnesium mineral called meerschaum, the common name for the compound Magnesium Silicate (MgSiO3) was reported by Thomas Henry in the year 1789. It was found in Turkey and was used to make smoking pipes for tobacco.

In 1792, the closest thing to the Magnesium element was produced. It was an impure form made by a scientist named Anton Rupprecht. He heated magnesia over charcoal.
It wasn't until 1808 that a pure form of magnesium would be produced. Magnesium was isolated by the chemist, who I hope you recognise, Sir Humphry Davis (I mentioned him before on the Sodium post). Sir Humphry Davis had an isolating method of electrophoresis. He used the process to separate magnesium from Magnesium Oxide. Though Davis only managed to obtain a tiny piece of magnesium. Another chemist, Antoine-Alexandre-Brutus Bussy used a new method to gain a sizable amount of the metal. Bussy reacted magnesium oxide with potassium then studied the results.

Biological Uses

Magnesium is an essential part of animals and plants lives.
In plant lives, Chlorophyll is the pigment which allows the plant to capture sunlight. It allows the process of photosynthesis to take place. Chlorophyll is a chemical which is a magnesium-centred porphyrin complex. As you can see below, the Magnesium ion is placed within a large complex. Without the Magnesium ion within the chlorophyll, photosynthesis could not take place.

This is the pigment Chlorophyll 

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

In Human lives, magnesium is essential to the working of hundreds of enzymes. We need to take in 250 - 350 milligrams of magnesium daily. Around 20g gets stored in our bodies within bones.

It's Uses

• It's one-third less dense than Aluminium.
• Improves the mechanical and welding characteristics of aluminium when Magnesium is used as an alloying agent. 
• These alloys are used in aeroplanes and cars
• Used as car seats, luggage, laptops, cameras and power tools as its lightweight.
• Added to molten iron and steel in order to remove sulphur 
• Used in flares, fireworks and sparkles as magnesium easily ignites in the air
• Magnesium Sulfate is a mordant in dyes
• Magnesium Hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia), Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salts), Magnesium Chloride and Citrate are all used in medicine

Definition

Alloy - a combination of metal elements.
Mordant - A substance that combines with a dye/stain and fixes it to the surface of the thing we want to dye
Photosynthesis - The process of producing food for a plant to survive - happening in the plant's leaves. It is basically a chemical reaction between CO2 and water with sunlight providing the energy.

This is the process of Photosynthesis. As you can see, the water molecules lose their Oxygen

with the hydrogen binding to the Carbon dioxide molecule in long chains.

These long chains are sugar/carbohydrate chains.

(Photo Credit: Physics World)