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Compare Silicon vs Magnesium

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

Periodic properties of the elements

SiliconMagnesium
SymbolSiMg
Atomic number1412
Group142
Period33
Blockps
Element categoryMetalloidAlkaline Earth Metal

Physical properties

SiliconMagnesium
Phase at STPSolidSolid
Density2.329 g/cm31.738 g/cm3
Atomic weight28.084 u24.304 u
Melting point1687 K
1413.85 °C
2576.93 °F		923 K
649.85 °C
1201.73 °F
Boiling point3538 K
3264.85 °C
5908.73 °F		1363 K
1089.85 °C
1993.73 °F

Atomic properties

SiliconMagnesium
Electronegativity (Pauling Scale)1.91.31
Electron affinity134.068 kJ/mol-40 kJ/mol
Oxidation states−4, −3, −2, −1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +4
(an amphoteric oxide)		+1, +2
(a strongly basic oxide)
Ionization energies
  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
  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

SiliconMagnesium
Shorthand configuration[Ne] 3s2 3p2 [Ne] 3s2
Full configuration1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p2 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2
Electrons per shell2, 8, 42, 8, 2

History

SiliconMagnesium
PredictionAntoine Lavoisier (1787)
DiscoveryJöns Jacob Berzelius (1823)Joseph Black (1755)
First isolationJöns Jacob Berzelius (1823)Humphry Davy (1808)
Named byThomas Thomson (1817)Humphry Davy (1812)
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