Strange result for practical (1 Viewer)

pasta8

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I have an experiment where magnesium is wrapped around a nail and placed in a petri dish filled with agar/saltwater and indicators to locate anode and cathode. The nail does not corrode beacuse its oxidation reaction has been stifled. Only query is: a white substance has formed around the magnesium on the nail. Magnesium oxide possibly? anyways, what is it, and why is it there? how is this combatted in industrial Mg anodes?
 

Michaelmoo

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Yep. I think itd be magnesium Hydroxide. My guess is that the experiment has been set up for some time?

Magnesium is a pretty reactive metal as you know. Although, it is also a self-passivating metal, thus the outer oxide layer neutralises its reactivity. But it seems as though somehow, the agar/saltwater has disintegrated its outer oxide layer, so it readily reacts with hydroxide ions in water.
 

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