What is the Difference Between Magnesium Atom and Magnesium Ion

The key difference between magnesium atom and magnesium ion is that magnesium atom contains 12 electrons and is a neutral chemical species, whereas magnesium ion contains 10 electrons and is a positively charged chemical species.

Magnesium is a chemical element in the periodic table of elements. It has 12 protons that decide its atomic number. Typically, in a magnesium atom, the number of electrons is similar to the number of protons. Upon ionization, the outermost electrons can be released from the atom to form magnesium ions. The most stable ion of magnesium is the magnesium ion in the +2 oxidation state.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Magnesium
3. What is Magnesium Atom
4. What is Magnesium Ion
5. Magnesium Atom vs Magnesium Ion in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Magnesium Atom vs Magnesium Ion

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a chemical element having atomic number 12. The chemical symbol of this chemical element is Mg. Usually, magnesium occurs as a grey-shiny solid at room temperature. It occurs in group 2, period 3 in the periodic table. Therefore, it is an s-block element. Further, magnesium is an alkaline earth metal (group 2 chemical elements are named alkaline earth metals). The electron configuration of this metal is [Ne]3s².

Magnesium is a lightweight metal, and it has the lowest values for melting and boiling points among alkaline earth metals. This metal is also brittle and easily undergoes fracture along with shear bands. When it is alloyed with aluminium, the alloy becomes very ductile.

What is Magnesium Atom?

Magnesium atom is the basic structural unit of the magnesium chemical element. Since the atomic number of magnesium metal is 12, the magnesium atom must have 12 protons in its nucleus. The atomic nucleus of an atom typically contains protons having a positive electrical charge and neutrons which has no electrical charge (they are neutral particles). A magnesium atom is a neutral chemical species, so it must have 12 electrons orbiting around the atomic nucleus. This is because the 12 positive charges coming from the protons must be neutralized by 12 negative charges (which represent 12 electrons) in order to form the neutrally charged magnesium atom.

The electron configuration of the magnesium atom is [Ne]3s². However, there are three stable isotopes of magnesium. These are the Mg-24, Mg-25, and Mg-26. Therefore, each isotope contains 12,13 and 14 neutrons in their atomic nuclei, respectively. However, the number of protons has to be the same for all isotopic forms because otherwise, the chemical element would be a different one (the number of protons determines the identity of the chemical element).

What is Magnesium Ion?

Magnesium ion is the basic structural unit of ionic magnesium compounds. The most stable ionic form of magnesium is the Mg+2 ion. It has a +2 oxidation state. This ion forms from the removal of two electrons from the outermost s atomic orbital. However, the number of protons and neutrons are the same as before. Moreover, there can be Mg+1 ion as well, but it is very rarely found. Therefore, when we say magnesium ion, we are usually referring to the Mg+2 ion.

Magnesium ion can be found in many Mg-containing ionic compounds. It has a positive charge which makes it the cation of many simple and complex compounds such as organometallic compounds. This ion is a strongly basic ion because it forms highly basic chemical compounds.

What is the Difference Between Magnesium Atom and Magnesium Ion?

Magnesium atom is the basic structural unit of the magnesium chemical element. Magnesium ion is the basic structural unit of ionic magnesium compounds. The key difference between magnesium atom and magnesium ion is that magnesium atom contains 12 electrons and it is a neutral chemical species, whereas magnesium ion contains 10 electrons and it is a positively charged chemical species.

The following infographic lists the differences between magnesium atom and magnesium ion in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Magnesium Atom vs Magnesium Ion

Magnesium is a chemical element that we can find in the periodic table of elements. This element contains 12 protons and electrons in a single atom. The key difference between magnesium atom and magnesium ion is that magnesium atom contains 12 electrons and it is a neutral chemical species, whereas magnesium ion contains 10 electrons and it is a positively charged chemical species.

Reference:

1. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. “Interesting Facts About Magnesium.” ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020.

Image Courtesy:

1. “12 magnesium (Mg) Bohr model” By Ahazard.sciencewriter – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Mg2+” By NEUROtiker – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia