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Compare Magnesium vs Silicon

Comparing Magnesium (Mg) and Silicon (Si). Atomic numbers 12 and 14 with atomic masses 24.304 u and 28.084 u, classified as alkaline earth metal and metalloid. 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
Si
Silicon
#14

Periodic properties of the elements

MagnesiumSilicon
SymbolMgSi
Atomic number1214
Group214
Period33
Blocksp
Element categoryAlkaline Earth MetalMetalloid

Physical properties

MagnesiumSilicon
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density1.738 g/cm32.329 g/cm3
Atomic weight24.304 u28.084 u
Melting point923 K
649.85 °C
1201.73 °F		1687 K
1413.85 °C
2576.93 °F
Boiling point1363 K
1089.85 °C
1993.73 °F		3538 K
3264.85 °C
5908.73 °F

Atomic properties

MagnesiumSilicon
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)1.311.9
Electron affinity-40 kJ/mol134.068 kJ/mol
Oxidation states+1, +2
(a strongly basic oxide)		−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
(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. 786.5 kJ/mol
  2. 1577.1 kJ/mol
  3. 3231.6 kJ/mol
  4. 4355.5 kJ/mol
  5. 16091 kJ/mol
  6. 19805 kJ/mol
  7. 23780 kJ/mol
  8. 29287 kJ/mol
  9. 33878 kJ/mol
  10. 38726 kJ/mol
  11. 45962 kJ/mol
  12. 50502 kJ/mol
  13. 235196 kJ/mol
  14. 257923 kJ/mol

Electron configuration

MagnesiumSilicon
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 [Ne] 3s2 3p2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 22, 8, 4

History

MagnesiumSilicon
PredictionAntoine Lavoisier (1787)
DiscoveryJoseph Black (1755)Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1823)
First isolationHumphry Davy (1808)Jöns Jacob Berzelius (1823)
Named byHumphry Davy (1812)Thomas Thomson (1817)
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