Magnesium is a fairly abundant silver-white metallic metal, and is not found pure in nature. Magnesium (Mg) combines with most acids and non-metals, including but not limited to nitrogen, and has a melting point of 65 degrees Celsius, and a boiling point of 1,090 degrees Celsius. Magnesium was discovered by the English Chemist, Sir Humphry Davy, in the year 1808. Magnesium falls under the group "alkaline earth metals" and has a density of 1.73 grams per centimeter cubed at 20 degrees Celsius. This metal has an atomic weight of -24.305, and its atomic number is 12 on the periodic table of elements. Magnesium is the strongest metal that retains its strength and is strong enough to be used in construction, weighing only about two thirds as much as aluminum! Mg can be found also in the minerals, magnesite, dolomite, brucite, amphibole asbestos, olivine, serpentine, talc, and in other silicate minerals.

Magnesium replaces other metals when heated with salts or oxides of many metals, in a process called reduction. The Mg purifies the other metal, preparing it for various uses.

Mg is commonly obtained from seawater whish is now known as the Dow Process. Lime is extracted from dolomite and is mixed with seawater, which contains magnesium chloride.

When the metal magnesium is subject to large amounts of heat, or "burned" the ashes from burned magnesium contain more oxygen than the original piece of magnesium weighed before it was burned.

The ferrosilicon process, or pidgon process, is a less widely used method of refining magnesium, and is primarily used in Canada. This process involves heating dolomite in a vacuum with an alloy consisting of silicon and Iron. Then once the Magnesium in the dolomite has vaporized, it is condensed as crystals, and then the magnesium crystals are melted and cast into ingots.

Magnesium is a very useful element indeed, and found commonly, as a matter of fact common every day seawater contains .13 percent magnesium, and practically contains and unlimited supply of the element we know as magnesium! This element is important to our society and will probably never be in need to be reduced in use due to the fact that there is an unlimited amount on our seawater.