Why should a magnesium ribbon be cleaned before burning it

Q- Why should a magnesium ribbon be cleaned before burning it?

Ans: Magnesium is a very active compound chemically. It is regarded as the eighth-most found element on the surface of the earth and contributes to 2% of the earth’s crust. Similarly, seawater is the most found substance as it is also found in the underground brines. Magnesium has the chemical formula Mg and is an important element of the periodic table. Hence a very famous question is asked regarding magnesium. Why is magnesium ribbon cleaned before burning? Hence to understand the answer to this question, we must understand that magnesium is a reactive element.

Magnesium ribbon should be cleaned before burning it because it quickly forms the white layer of magnesium oxide, which does not burn. This happens when it burns in the presence of oxygen and moisture. As it forms this white layer, it will not burn anymore. Hence to stop the formation of this white layer, impurities which are not needed should be cleaned from the surface of the magnesium ribbon, and only the pure magnesium should be burned.

If the magnesium oxide is not removed from the surface of the magnesium ribbon, in that case, the desired reaction might not be able to be obtained. Any reaction which involves the process of burning the magnesium ribbon should ensure that the ribbon must be cleaned properly, or else it will hinder the rate of reaction. A question might pop up if there is any catalyst present to speed up this reaction if anyone is unable to clean the magnesium ribbon. Unfortunately, it is not possible to do this at this point in time, but as we progress with our research work, we are quite optimistic we will develop some techniques for this too. We hope now you understand why a magnesium ribbon is cleaned before burning it.