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Question:


get144
Student
High School - 9th Grade

What happens when you burn magnesium in the air?

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Posted by get144 on Friday December 5, 2008 at 10:12 AM and tagged with chemistry, compound, element, magnesium, metal, mixture, nonmetal, reaction.

Answers:


  1. enotechris Teacher
    Vocational

    eNotes Editor

    Best answer as selected by question asker.

    At room temperature, a sample of pure magnesium metal combines with oxygen to form a thin skin of magnesium oxide. At higher temperatures, it burns with a blinding white light, and because of this property it's used in fireworks.  Read more at the link:

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/chemical-elements/magnesium

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    Posted by enotechris on Friday December 5, 2008 at 10:18 AM

  2. jones123
    jones123 Student
    College - Junior

    It Produces brilliant white light.Magnesium Oxide and Carbon are formed. Mg + O2 gives MgO and C

    Sources:
    http://www.examville.com

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    Posted by jones123 on Tuesday December 9, 2008 at 12:22 AM

  3. giorgiana1976
    giorgiana1976 Teacher
    Doctorate

    eNotes Editor

    2Mg + O2 -> 2MgO (Magnesium Oxide)

    But we all know that air is made not only of O2, but N2 too. The O2 is responsible for combustion; the N2, however, is unreactive at normal temperatures.

    When we burn Mg in the air, the result will be 2 products: magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium nitride (Mg3N2). 

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    Posted by giorgiana1976 on Tuesday December 23, 2008 at 2:04 AM