Burning magnesium
A ribbon, the air and a dazzling flame.
The burning ribbon
A teacher holds a magnesium ribbon in tongs and lights it. It burns with a dazzling white flame.
Besides what is left in the dish, what else comes out of the burning ribbon?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Burning magnesium ribbon is a chemical change that forms white magnesium oxide and gives out heat and light: Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium oxide + Heat + Light.
The burning ribbon
A teacher holds a magnesium ribbon in tongs and lights it. It burns with a dazzling white flame.
Besides what is left in the dish, what else comes out of the burning ribbon?
- Nothing else
- Heat and light
- Cold and darkness
Burn it, then write it
Watch the teacher burn the ribbon. Then write what happened as an equation: tap a name, then tap its place.
A chemical change
Burning magnesium ribbon is a chemical change. It forms a new substance, white magnesium oxide, and gives out heat and light.
Magnesium (ribbon) + Oxygen (air) → Magnesium oxide (white powder) + Heat + Light
The magnesium reacts with the oxygen in the air. On the left are the things that react. On the right are the new substance and the heat and light given out.
- What we see | What it tells us
- The ribbon is gone | the magnesium has changed
- A white powder is left | a new substance, magnesium oxide
- A dazzling flame | heat and light are given out
Notes
Burning magnesium ribbon is a chemical change: Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium oxide + Heat + Light. The white powder is magnesium oxide.
Check yourself
Which new substance is formed when magnesium ribbon burns?
What does burning magnesium give out, along with the new substance?
Magnesium burns by reacting with oxygen from...
Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium oxide + Heat + Light. How many items are on the right of the arrow?
Answer: 3
Three: magnesium oxide, heat and light. Magnesium and oxygen are on the left.
- Magnesium ribbon, the grey strip. The ribbon is what you start with.
- Oxygen, the gas from the air. Oxygen is used up from the air. It is on the left of the arrow.
- Magnesium oxide — correct. Yes! It is the white powder that is formed.
- Light, but no heat at all. It also gives out heat.
- Both heat and light — correct. Yes! Heat and light are given out.
- Heat, but no light at all. It also gives out a dazzling light.
- the air around it — correct. Yes! The oxygen comes from the air.
- the tongs holding it. The tongs only hold the ribbon.
- the dish below it. The dish only catches the white powder.