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What is the chemical symbol for magnesium?
A. Ma
B. Mg
C. Mn
D. Mm
Correct Answer Is Option = Mg
Notes / Explanation
The chemical symbol for magnesium is written as Mg, and a knowledge of the symbols of the elements is one of the basic requirements of the study of chemistry. Every element is represented by a short symbol of one or two letters, which gives chemists a convenient and universally understood way of referring to the element and of writing the formulas of compounds and the equations of chemical reactions. In the case of magnesium, the symbol Mg is taken from the name of the element, using the first letter together with another letter from the name, written with the first letter as a capital and the second as a small letter, as is the standard practice. Magnesium is a chemical element that is a metal, and in its pure form it is a fairly light, silvery-white metal. It is a reactive metal, and one of its most striking properties is that when it is set alight it burns with a very bright, brilliant white flame, a property that has led to its use in producing bright light, for example in certain kinds of flares and fireworks and, in the past, in the flashes used in photography. Magnesium is also important because it is a fairly light metal, and it is used, often in combination with other metals to form mixtures known as alloys, to make lightweight but strong materials that are valued in applications where lightness is important. Beyond its uses as a metal, magnesium is also important for living things, because it is one of the elements that the body needs in order to function properly, playing a role in various processes in the body, and it is obtained through the diet from various foods. Magnesium is also a component of the green colouring found in plants that plays a central role in the process by which plants make their food using sunlight, so that this element is essential to plant life as well. Magnesium is a fairly common element and is found in various minerals in the Earth. The study of the elements and their properties and uses is an important part of chemistry. For PPSC and other competitive examinations, the key points to remember are that the chemical symbol for magnesium is Mg, that magnesium is a light, silvery-white reactive metal that burns with a brilliant white flame, that it is used to produce bright light and in lightweight alloys, and that it is important for living things and is a component of the green colouring in plants.