Magnesium Lab

Sammie Barth
1/18/12
Mg Lab
Ionic Bond


Materials:
Crucible
Magnesium Strip
Heat source
Tongs
2 "D" Batteries
Christmas lights


Safety Concerns:
As always, we were expected to wear goggles for safety. Also, the light that magnesium gives off when it is lit is like radiation so it could be harmful to the eye if looked at directly. When the magnesium lit, we had to look away.


Procedure:
1. We measured out how much the piece of magnesium we had weighed. It was .07 grams before we stuck it in the fire.
2. We placed the magnesium in the crucible with a lid and put the crucible on a stand to hold it over the flame.
3. The magnesium wasn't lighting with the lid on, so we took the lid off and gave it a little while. When it still didn't light, we used tongs to grab the magnesium and stick it straight into the open flame until it lit.
4. Once it lit, we put it back in the crucible and let it burn.
5. When it got done burning, we hooked up Christmas lights to two "D" size batteries and touched the the other end to the magnesium. This tested whether or not magnesium is a conductor.


Results:
After doing this experiment, we discovered that magnesium is a weak conductor. It doesn't do much, but it does do something.


Errors:
The end result of this experiment was that the magnesium would actually gain mass after it was burned. In our case, the weight stayed the same. Maybe an error that caused this to happen was that we left the gas on too long, or the magnesium didn't burn through the whole thing completely.

Analyzing Data:
1. Mg: .07 grams
2. exothermic reaction. Heat was being let out.

3. The different temps. made the Mg react

4. NO2

5. Oxygen because when we were done the magnesium was mostly white.

6. Yes. It is not very conductive, but it is a little.

7. It might not have burned all the magnesium, or our calculations were off.

Real World:

1. Magnesium helps aid the function of muscles and also helps certain enzymes to function in the body.

2. Magnesium Hydroxide is a common component in laxatives and antacids.