Sir Humphry Davy and The Discovery of Magnesium

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Magnesium
Magnesium, also known as atomic number 12 was discovered in 1808 by Sir Humphry Davy who was a British Chemist best known for his experiments in electro-chemistry and his invention of a miner's safety lamp (BBC News, 2014). Magnesium is a chemical element with symbol Mg. Magnesium is a light, fairly strong, whitish, silver Alkaline Earth Metal that is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's Mantle and the fourth most common element on earth, making up 13% of the planet's mass (Winter, 2011). Its atomic weight is 24.305.
The melting point for magnesium is 923 K (650°C or 1202°F) and the boiling point is 1363 K (1090°C or 1994°F). Magnesium ions are extremely soluble in water which makes it the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater. The pure element of Magnesium burns and gives off a brilliant-white light, making it a useful ingredient in flashlight photography, flares and pyrotechnics (Gagnon, 2012). Once ignited, magnesium is extremely difficult to extinguish. Attempting to put out the fire using water produces hydrogen, this only intensifies the flames. Magnesium also burns in both pure nitrogen and pure carbon dioxide, so a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher will feed the flames too.
Pure Magnesium is not found free in nature because it is highly reactive and bonds well with many other elements in nature, such as other metals and almost every acid. There are many compounds of Magnesium found, such as, Magnesium Sulfate which is often used for preterm labor. I know this personally because, this was a medication given to me when I went into preterm labor with my son at only 32 weeks.

Magnesium sulfate is used as a tocoytic medicine to slow uterine contractions. It is given intravenously until contr...

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...nd carbon, which is the reason a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher can’t be used for extinguishing magnesium a fire.
Magnesium + oxygen —> magnesium oxide
2Mg(s) + O2(g) —> 2MgO(s)
Magnesium is probably the most important nutrient for that energy powerhouse, the heart. It is very helpful for the heart muscle to function properly. Magnesium also helps protect blood vessels, which is where most of heart diseases happen (NIH, 2013). Magnesium is also a natural blood thinner, so doctors believe that it may help with preventing a heart attack or a stroke. Scientists have shown that magnesium levels are very low in people with diabetes, type 2. So, people with higher magnesium levels do not develop diabetes. This means, Magnesium can also help prevent the development of diabetes and also taking a supplement of magnesium seems to help reverse pre-diabetes (Heller, 2012).

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