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Compare Magnesium vs Beryllium

Comparing Magnesium (Mg) and Beryllium (Be). Atomic numbers 12 and 4 with atomic masses 24.304 u and 9.012 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
Be
Beryllium
#4

Periodic properties of the elements

MagnesiumBeryllium
SymbolMgBe
Atomic number124
Group22
Period32
Blockss
Element categoryAlkaline Earth MetalAlkaline Earth Metal

Physical properties

MagnesiumBeryllium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density1.738 g/cm31.85 g/cm3
Atomic weight24.304 u9.01218 u
Melting point923 K
649.85 °C
1201.73 °F		1560 K
1286.85 °C
2348.33 °F
Boiling point1363 K
1089.85 °C
1993.73 °F		2742 K
2468.85 °C
4475.93 °F

Atomic properties

MagnesiumBeryllium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)1.311.57
Electron affinity-40 kJ/mol-48 kJ/mol
Oxidation states+1, +2
(a strongly basic oxide)		0, +1, +2
(an amphoteric 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. 899.5 kJ/mol
  2. 1757.1 kJ/mol
  3. 14848.7 kJ/mol
  4. 21006.6 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

MagnesiumBeryllium
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 [He] 2s2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 1s2 2s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 22, 2

History

MagnesiumBeryllium
DiscoveryJoseph Black (1755)Louis Nicolas Vauquelin (1798)
First isolationHumphry Davy (1808)Friedrich Wöhler, Antoine Bussy (1828)
Named byHumphry Davy (1812)
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