Burning magnesium

Aim: I want to find out what happens to magnesium when you burn it





Hypothesis:
I think that is might just melt and maybe turn into liquid or stay together but burnt up



Equipment:
Heat mat, Bunsen Burner. Siccer tongs, Magnesium, Lighter and safety goggles




Method:

1. Get equipment
2. Put on safety goggles
3. Put down your heat mat
4. Connect your Bunsen burner to the gas tap
5. Close the air hole
6. Turn on the lighter
7. Turn on the gas
8. Open the air hole
9. Hold the magnesium in the scissor tongs
10. Put the magnesium into the blue flame
11. Observe what happens

Results:

When i burned solid shiny gray magnesium in the blue Bunsen burner it formed a bright white light and lasted for around 6 seconds then it went out. Some white powder was left over.        

Discussion
Why did the magnesium glow brightly?

When magnesium burns, it is actually reacting with oxygen in the air and not with fire. Fire is what we call the heat and light produced when things burn. Magnesium reacts with oxygen to make a compound called magnesium oxide. The bright light results because this reaction produces a lot of heat.

scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2234

When magnesium is in its metal form it will burn very easily in air. However, in order to start the reaction (the burning) the magnesium metal needs a source of energy. The flame provides a source of heat so that the magnesium metal atoms can overcome their activation energy. Activation energy is the minimum energy required in order for a chemical reaction to proceed. When the magnesium metal burns it reacts with oxygen found in the air to form Magnesium Oxide. A compound is a material in which atoms of different elements are bonded to one another. Oxygen and magnesium combine in a chemical reaction to form this compound. After it burns, it forms a white powder of the magnesium oxide. Magnesium gives up two electrons to oxygen atoms to form this powdery product. This is an exothermic reaction. An exothermic reaction is a term that describes a chemical reaction in which there is a net release of energy (heat).
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Under_Construction/Demonstrations/Burning_Magnesium
                  


Conclusion:
My hypothesis was that it would just melt or turn into liquid but it ended up turning into a bright white light


Evalouation
Other experiments related to this i could do are

• Did it make another chemicals
• Why was it a white light
• How hot did the magnesium get
• Do all metals glow brightly
• What would happen if we used a chunk of magnesium
• What would happen if we used powered magnesium