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Compare Aluminium vs Magnesium

Comparing Aluminium (Al) and Magnesium (Mg). Atomic numbers 13 and 12 with atomic masses 26.982 u and 24.304 u, classified as post-transition metal and alkaline earth metal. Below: a side-by-side comparison of their physical, atomic, electron-configuration and historical properties, including density, melting and boiling points, ionization energies, oxidation states and discovery history.

vs
Al
Aluminium
#13
Mg
Magnesium
#12

Periodic properties of the elements

AluminiumMagnesium
SymbolAlMg
Atomic number1312
Group132
Period33
Blockps
Element categoryPost-Transition MetalAlkaline Earth Metal

Physical properties

AluminiumMagnesium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density2.7 g/cm31.738 g/cm3
Atomic weight26.9815 u24.304 u
Melting point933.47 K
660.32 °C
1220.576 °F		923 K
649.85 °C
1201.73 °F
Boiling point2743 K
2469.85 °C
4477.73 °F		1363 K
1089.85 °C
1993.73 °F

Atomic properties

AluminiumMagnesium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)1.611.31
Electron affinity41.762 kJ/mol-40 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−2, −1, +1, +2, +3
(an amphoteric oxide)		+1, +2
(a strongly basic oxide)
Ionization energies
  1. 577.5 kJ/mol
  2. 1816.7 kJ/mol
  3. 2744.8 kJ/mol
  4. 11577 kJ/mol
  5. 14842 kJ/mol
  6. 18379 kJ/mol
  7. 23326 kJ/mol
  8. 27465 kJ/mol
  9. 31853 kJ/mol
  10. 38473 kJ/mol
  11. 42647 kJ/mol
  12. 201266 kJ/mol
  13. 222316 kJ/mol
  1. 737.7 kJ/mol
  2. 1450.7 kJ/mol
  3. 7732.7 kJ/mol
  4. 10542.5 kJ/mol
  5. 13630 kJ/mol
  6. 18020 kJ/mol
  7. 21711 kJ/mol
  8. 25661 kJ/mol
  9. 31653 kJ/mol
  10. 35458 kJ/mol
  11. 169988 kJ/mol
  12. 189368 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

AluminiumMagnesium
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 3p1 [Ne] 3s2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p1 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 32, 8, 2

History

AluminiumMagnesium
PredictionAntoine Lavoisier (1782)
DiscoveryHans Christian Ørsted (1824)Joseph Black (1755)
First isolationHumphry Davy (1808)
Named byHumphry Davy (1812)Humphry Davy (1812)
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