Kids, did you know that our periodic table contains 118 named elements? The periodic table is an arrangement of different elements in rows and columns. In the periodic table, gases are arranged in one column, whereas metals are placed in another column.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant elements in the periodic table. It is an alkaline metal and is found in group 2 of the periodic table. Not only in free form, but magnesium is also found in the human body. It is an essential component of plant and human bodies.

What is Magnesium?

The chemical element magnesium has the symbol Mg and the atomic number 12.  Magnesium was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808 and named 'magnum.' Antoine Bussy, in 1831, first prepared magnesium inconsistent form. Magnesium comes in the category of alkaline earth metal, and it is not present in free pure form, and its compounds are found in large deposits such as dolomite, magnesite, and other minerals.

Magnesium is the 8th most abundant element in the earth's crust, making up 13 per cent of our planet's mass. Magnesium is the most common element in the Earth as a whole, after iron, oxygen, and silicon. The weight of magnesium metal is light, but it is a strong, silvery-white metal. Magnesium tarnishes when exposed to air. 

Magnesium is a very useful metal in industrial use, with a melting point of 1,994° Fahrenheit and a boiling point of 1,202° Fahrenheit. Magnesium is highly flammable in its powdered form and burns with a brilliant white flame. But it becomes challenging to ignite this metal as a large mass.

28 Magnesium Facts for Kids

1. Magnesium is a chemical element on the periodic table.

2. Magnesium was discovered in 1755 by Scottish chemist Joseph Black.

3. Magnesium was first isolated in 1808 by Cornish chemist Sir Humphry Davy using a mixture of magnesia and mercuric oxide via electrolysis.

4. Magnesium is a solid at room temperature.

5. Magnesium is a solid shiny gray metal.

6. The symbol for magnesium is Mg.

7. The atomic number for magnesium is 12.

8. The standard atomic weight for Magnesium is 24.305 u.

9. Magnesium is in the alkaline earth metal element category on the periodic table.

10. Magnesium is a period 3 chemical element, which is the third row on the periodic table.

11. Magnesium is a group 2 chemical element, which is the beryllium group.

12. Magnesium has three stable isotopes.

13. The three stable magnesium isotopes are ²⁴Mg, ²⁵Mg and ²⁶Mg.

14. The melting point for magnesium is 1,202 °F (650 °C).

15. The boiling point for magnesium is 1,994 °F (1,091 °C).

16. Magnesium is the ninth most abundant element found in the universe.

17. Magnesium is the eight most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust.

18. Magnesium is the eleventh most abundant element found in the human body (by mass).

19. The magnesium compound magnesium sulfite is used to manufactory paper.

20. The magnesium compound magnesium phosphate is used in fireproofing wood that is used to build manmade structures.

21. Magnesium is an essential element that the human body needs to function properly.

22. Hundreds of enzymes in the human body require magnesium ions to properly function.

23. The recommend dietary allowance in the U.S. for magnesium is 400 milligrams for males between the ages of 19 and 30, and 310 milligrams for females between the ages of 19 and 30.

24. Food sources rich in magnesium include cocoa, cereals, spices and vegetables.

25. Magnesium is an essential element that plants need to produce energy.

26. Plants synthesize chlorophyll for photosynthesis using magnesium.

27. Magnesium produces a bright white light when burned, making it useful in flares and pyrotechnics.

28. Magnesium is used in survival and emergency equipment to start fires, like a magnesium Firestarter.