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When you hold a piece of magnesium in a roaring Bunsen burner, the magnesium gets hot enough to react with oxygen - the result is a bright light which is very impressive.
What's happening in terms of a chemical reaction here?
Well, it's an oxidation reaction. An oxidation reaction is one in which a substance gains oxygen. In this case, the magnesium is gaining oxygen. When a compound is oxidised, its name usually ends in the word 'oxide'.
The equations for the reaction of magnesium and oxygen can be seen below:
magnesium + oxygen → magnesium oxide
Mg(s) + O₂(g) → MgO(s)
Both combustion and rusting are examples of oxidation reactions.
In this activity, we will be looking at oxidation and having a go at answering some questions.
Are you ready?
