MagnesiumMagnesium, also known as atomic number 12, was discovered in 1808 by Sir Humphry Davy, a British chemist best known for his experiments in electrochemistry and his invention of safety miners lamp (BBC News, 2014). Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg. Magnesium is a light, fairly strong, whitish, silvery alkaline earth metal that is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's mantle and the fourth most common element on Earth, making up 13% of the planet's mass (Winter, 2011). Its atomic weight is 24.305. The melting point of magnesium is 923 K (650°C or 1202°F) and the boiling point is 1363 K (1090°C or 1994°F). Magnesium ions are extremely soluble in water, making it the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater. The pure element magnesium burns and emits a bright white light, making it a useful ingredient in flashlight photography, flares, and pyrotechnics (Gagnon, 2012). Once ignited, magnesium is extremely difficult to extinguish. Attempting to put out the fire using water produces hydrogen, this only intensifies the flames. Additionally, magnesium burns in both pure nitrogen and pure carbon dioxide, so even a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher will fan the flames. Pure magnesium is not found free in nature because it is highly reactive and bonds well with many other elements in nature, such as other metals and almost all acids. Many magnesium compounds have been found, such as magnesium sulfate which is often used for preterm labor. I know this personally because this was a medication I was given when I went into preterm labor with my son at just 32 weeks. Magnesium sulfate is used as a tocoitic medicine to slow uterine contractions. It is administered intravenously until con...... half of the paper ......and carbon, which is why a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher cannot be used to extinguish a magnesium fire. Magnesium + oxygen —> magnesium oxide2Mg(s) + O2(g) —> 2MgO(s)Magnesium is probably the most important nutrient for the energy powerhouse that is the heart. It is very useful for the correct functioning of the heart muscle. Magnesium also helps protect blood vessels, which are where most heart disease occurs (NIH, 2013). Magnesium is also a natural blood thinner, so doctors believe it can help prevent a heart attack or stroke. Scientists have shown that magnesium levels are very low in people with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, people with higher magnesium levels do not develop diabetes. This means that magnesium can also help prevent the development of diabetes, and taking a magnesium supplement also appears to help reverse pre-diabetes (Heller, 2012).