ipl-logo

How Has Magnesium Changed The Course Of History

792 Words4 Pages

How has the extraction of metals changed the course of history?

Metal: Magnesium

Magnesium is a metal that is both industrially and biologically important. It is the lightest structural metal that is currently available for us. Its other advantages include excellent fatigue, denting and damping resistance. Therefore it is used commonly in alloys for car and airplane construction, electronics, luggage and power tools. It is also used in fireworks and sparklers, as it is easy to ignite and burns brightly. Historically, Magnesium was used in both world wars for German military aircrafts, and was a main aircraft construction metal. Photosynthesis also requires magnesium to take place.

Magnesium is the eighth most plentiful element in the earth’s crust. Its high reactivity causes it to only be found as a compound in seawater, brines and rocks. Aside from China, Magnesium is extracted from Magnesium Chloride in a process called Dow process. This method uses electrolysis, a cheaper method in places where power costs are low. The first step of this method is preparing the raw material of magnesium chloride. Heated dolomite, an anhydrous carbonate mineral with formula CaMg(CO3)2, is first added to the original seawater, increasing the Magnesium content of the solution. Magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, precipitates and is …show more content…

However, it took nearly 200 years for Magnesium to be isolated as a metal. The main reason was that electrolysis was necessary to extract Magnesium, and the first noted use of Electrolysis occurred only in 1785 when tin, zinc and antimony were extracted from their salts. Another problem that the society has faced was that electrolysis requires a huge amount of energy and is rather expensive. Science helped overcome these problems when electrolysis was discovered after the discovery of positive and negative charges, as well as discovering how to make larger amounts of cheaper energy

Show More
Related
1316 Words | 6 Pages

While the magnesium metal is the most reactive, magnesium nitrate is the least reactive. Copper metal is the least reactive but copper nitrate is most

Read More
1529 Words | 7 Pages

In this experiment, the objective was to set up a voltaic cell and use it to carry out two electrolysis processes to determine the equivalent weights of zinc and copper. The procedure involved using zinc strips, copper strips, zinc wire, copper wire, a zinc plating solution, a CuSO4 solution, an ammeter, wooden blocks, alligator clamps, and beakers. However, the main findings of the experiment showed that the equivalent weights for both copper and zinc were not as expected. Copper had over 300

Read More
404 Words | 2 Pages

An example of this would be the transition of iron to the product of steel in construction. Steel is superior to iron in strength and flexibility. According to Professor Joseph S. Spoerl in his work, A Brief History of Iron and Steel Production, “Unlike many of his competitors, Andrew Carnegie was quick to recognize the importance of the Bessemer, Thomas basic, and open-hearth processes. He was also among the first steelmakers to grasp the vital importance of chemistry in steelmaking. These became keys to his success as a steel manufacturer.”

Read More
933 Words | 4 Pages

Question One Explain how the discovery of silver in Potosí led to a changing world economy. What impact did this change have on social groups in Latin America and elsewhere? Who benefitted from this new economic system? Who lost? Why? In the middle of the sixteenth century Portuguese and Spaniards discovered large veins of silver in the southern Andes in Portosi (Sterns Chapter 1 p. 90) this discovery of silver led to alterations in the world economy, impacted the social groups in Latin America and other parts of the world in a variety of ways.

Read More
742 Words | 3 Pages

Lithium Ion It was only in 1970 when the first Lithium Ion batteries became accessible to society. Lithium is the lightest metal, making it very practical to create batteries with.

Read More
816 Words | 4 Pages

Mass effects In Modern Life, 1925 According to Churchill, who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1955, modern world is characterized by “enormous processes of collectivization”. The word collectivization or collectivism means that “a political or economic theory supporting collective control over production and distribution emphasis on collective rather than individual action.” In the modern world there are mass production, and there are huge number of companies that produce people’s need. People can buy what they want from different places not just domestic products.

Read More
179 Words | 1 Pages

It can not mine anything that is flammable. The Ray gun can also be used as protection for civilians. When sold to civilians it can only stun the person that is shot with it. It is against the law to use it in any other way other than for protection.

Read More
629 Words | 3 Pages

As we know, copper has been an essential material to man and was one of the first metals ever extracted and used by humans. In fact, one of the stages of human history “Bronze Age” is named after Bronze, which consists of mainly copper. Ancient cultures valued copper and used in making decorative objects such as earrings, rings, bracelets, combs,

Read More
765 Words | 4 Pages

For example, a hammer; this tool is something that may come to use once a in a while or everyday either way it is very useful because of steel. Another job that was created was someone who made railroad tracks. Steel was very beneficial to railroad tracks because it was safer and more stable than what was used before. The Bessemer process made trains less likely to fall off the tracks since it was more

Read More
1505 Words | 7 Pages

The development of steel can be traced back 4000 years to the beginning of the Iron Age. Proving to be harder and stronger than bronze, which had previously been the most widely used metal, iron, began to displace bronze in weaponry and tools. For the following few thousand years, however, the quality of iron produced would depend as much on the ore available as on the production methods. By the 17th century, iron's properties were well understood, but increasing urbanization in Europe demanded a more versatile structural metal.

Read More
942 Words | 4 Pages

HRL, the manufacturer of Micro lattice, suggested the material could be used for “battery electrodes, catalyst supports and acoustic or shock energy damping.” Boeing is currently doing research and development to see how it could best be used in manufacturing. Boeing along with Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northrop Grumman and NASA are working on innovations

Read More
617 Words | 3 Pages

When the magnesium metal burns it react with oxygen found in the air to form Magnesium Oxide. Mg loses the electrons to have an octet , Oxygen gains two electrons to have an octet ; The bond between ions results from the electrostatic attraction of opposite charges. The formula would be Mg0. The symbol

Read More
1670 Words | 7 Pages

Chemistry of Fireworks Fireworks rely on chemistry in terms of their principles of combustion, reduction and oxidation reactions, and the excitement of electrons. Fireworks have been popular for an immensely long time. Fireworks were invented in the 12th century by the chinese.

Read More
851 Words | 4 Pages

The succession of these events rose the production of iron from 17,000 tons in 1740, to 3 million tons in 1844. In such a relatively short span of time, nothing (but iron of course) has ever been produced in such large quantities. Following in the footsteps of great iron smelters, Abraham Darby III built a bridge completely made of iron, just because he could. The bridge still stands today. Another fun location wrought of iron is the Crystal Palace-

Read More
380 Words | 2 Pages

It produced steel cheaper and more efficiently than before. It was stronger and cheaper than iron so it became the material choice of many builders. This new steel-making process allowed many new buildings, skyscrapers, and even jobs. The innovated automobile and the

Read More

More about How Has Magnesium Changed The Course Of History

Related Topics

Open Document