Magnesium the water's bitter taste, but the farmer noticed that the water seemed to heal scratches and rashes. The substance became known as Epsom salts and its fame spread. It was eventually recognized as hydrated magnesium sulfate, ·7. The metal itself was first isolated by Sir Humphry Davy in England in 1808. He used electrolysis on a mixture of magnesia and mercuric oxide. Antoine Bussy prepared it in coherent form in 1831. Davy's first suggestion for a name was magnium, but the name magnesium is now used. Magnesium is the third-most-commonly-used structural metal, following iron and aluminium. The main applications of
Magnesium silicide in the interior of the unit cell. The coordination numbers of Si and Mg are eight and four, respectively. Magnesium silicide Magnesium silicide, MgSi, is an inorganic compound consisting of magnesium and silicon. It can be produced by heating silicon dioxide, SiO, found in sand, with excess magnesium. The process first forms silicon metal and magnesium oxide, and, if an excess of magnesium is used, the silicide is formed: If an excess of Mg is present, MgSi is formed from the reaction of the remaining magnesium with the silicon: These reactions proceed exothermically. Magnesium silicide is used to create aluminium