Who Discovered Magnesium

When discussing who discovered magnesium, three individuals should be recognized: Joseph Black, Sir Humphry Davy, and Antoine A.B. Bussy.

Vital element: Magnesium, Mg

Magnesium: An Overview

Magnesium is found in the Earth's crust, in the cosmos, and in all living things. In the human body, it is the eleventh-most abundant element. As a cation, magnesium's ions are essential for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. The mineral helps bones, muscles, nerves, and the digestive tract function better. A deficiency can lead to:

• Muscle weakness
• Chronic fatigue
• Hypertension
• Migraines
• Asthma
• Insomnia
• Glaucoma
• Osteoporosis
• Cardiovascular problems
• A compromised immune system

Each day, the body works to maintain its balance of magnesium. According to the National Institutes of Health, 50% of the body's magnesium is found in the bones, 39% in the cells, and 1% in the blood.

To assist the body, it's important to meet your recommended dietary allowance of the mineral. For adults, the daily value is 320mg for women and 400mg for men. A combination of magnesium-rich foods will help you reach your number; in some case, dietary supplements can be taken as well.

Who Discovered Magnesium?

Studies are still ongoing when it comes to magnesium and its possible applications. However, it all began with its discovery, which can be credited to three individuals, as each chemist is associated with a major breakthrough.

• Joseph Black: A Scottish physician, physicist, and chemist who first recognized that magnesia (MgO) was its own compound in 1755. He found that it was altogether separate from calcium carbonate.
• Sir Humphry Davy: British chemist widely credited as the person who discovered magnesium in 1808. A pioneer in electrolysis, Davy used the then-new method to isolate magnesium into its own element.
• Antoine A.B. Bussy: A French chemist who was the first to discover a way to isolate magnesium in large quantities. He published his findings in 1831, in "Mémoire sur le Radical métallique de la Magnésie".

Sir Humphry Davy

For the question "Who discovered magnesium?", the most common answer is Sir Davy. His work in electrolysis not only isolated magnesium, but in 1808, his banner year met with the discovery of five periodic elements: barium, calcium, boron, strontium, and magnesium.

For his breakthrough Sir Davy used electrolysis on a mixture of magnesium oxide (MgO) and mercuric oxide. The resulting amalgam of mercury and magnesium was heated in a glass tube to drive off the mercury, leaving behind pure magnesium.

Antoine A.B. Bussy

For his discovery, Bussy found a way to produce quantities of magnesium. To do so, he heated magnesium chloride and potassium in a glass tube and then washed out the newly formed potassium chloride. What was left was magnesium.

Magnesium by the Numbers

• Name: Magnesium
• Atomic symbol: Mg
• Atomic number: 12
• Location on periodic table: Group 2, Period 3, Block s
• Melting point: 923 K
• Boiling point: 1363 K
• Appearance of elemental magnesium: Silvery-white
• Weight: Lightweight, prized for its strength as an alloy
• Geology: An alkaline earth metal, it is the eighth-most abundant element in the planet's crust.
• Biology: Magnesium's ions are essential to the human body and all living things. In plants, magnesium is central to chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their healthy color.
• Fact: Magnesium is not found as a free metal.
• Fact: It is the second-most abundant cation (ion) in seawater.

Get Your Magnesium

As you can see, magnesium and its many compounds play an important role in life. Its structural and biological properties amazingly all stem from the same element. Mg.

As for the body, it is essential that humans get their recommended daily allowance of this mineral. To help avoid deficiency and the consequent symptoms that follow, boost your diet with magnesium-rich foods, like leafy greens (the darker, the more magnesium).

Fruits and Vegetables

• Potato (with skin)
• Spinach
• Avocado
• Mustard greens
• Summer squash
• Broccoli
• Turnip greens
• Bananas
• Raisins
• Celery
• Kale
• Swiss chard

Legumes

• Soybeans
• Peanuts
• Lentils
• Chickpeas
• Black beans
• Navy beans
• Tofu

Nuts

• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Cashews

Grains and Cereals

• Raisin bran
• Flax seeds
• 100% bran

A rich, natural source of magnesium is Swiss Chard

Magnesium Supplements

You may also consider incorporating magnesium supplements into your diet, as it's true that most people fail to meet their daily allowances. As a supplement, the mineral is available in tablet form, as well as a drink.

• Further reading: An interview with Dr. Carolyn Dean about the symptoms of magnesium deficiency.

One More Natural Source

You can also get magnesium by using sea salt over processed table salt. Unrefined sea salt contains a variety of minerals, including magnesium, iodine, potassium, calcium, and iron.

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