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Compare Magnesium vs Barium

Comparing Magnesium (Mg) and Barium (Ba). Atomic numbers 12 and 56 with atomic masses 24.304 u and 137.328 u, classified as alkaline earth 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
Mg
Magnesium
#12
Ba
Barium
#56

Periodic properties of the elements

MagnesiumBarium
SymbolMgBa
Atomic number1256
Group22
Period36
Blockss
Element categoryAlkaline Earth MetalAlkaline Earth Metal

Physical properties

MagnesiumBarium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density1.738 g/cm33.51 g/cm3
Atomic weight24.304 u137.328 u
Melting point923 K
649.85 °C
1201.73 °F		1000 K
726.85 °C
1340.33 °F
Boiling point1363 K
1089.85 °C
1993.73 °F		2118 K
1844.85 °C
3352.73 °F

Atomic properties

MagnesiumBarium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)1.310.89
Electron affinity-40 kJ/mol13.954 kJ/mol
Oxidation states+1, +2
(a strongly basic oxide)		+1, +2
(a strongly basic oxide)
Ionization energies
  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
  1. 502.9 kJ/mol
  2. 965.2 kJ/mol
  3. 3600 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

MagnesiumBarium
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 [Xe] 6s2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d10 5s2 5p6 6s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 22, 8, 18, 18, 8, 2

History

MagnesiumBarium
DiscoveryJoseph Black (1755)Carl Wilhelm Scheele (1772)
First isolationHumphry Davy (1808)Humphry Davy (1808)
Named byHumphry Davy (1812)Humphry Davy (1808)
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