Making a metal oxide - science

 Metals and oxygen

Aim: To make a metal oxide and observe the difference in properties of the products compared to the reactants.

Equipment:

• A piece of magnesium

• Bunsen burner 

• Safety glasses 

• Metal scissor tongs 

Method:

1. Light your bunsen burner. 

2. Hold your piece of magnesium in the scissor tongs. Ensure you are holding onto the very tip of the magnesium. 

3. Place the other end of the magnesium into the Bunsen flame (at the top of the blue fame)

4. When magnesium begins to burn, do not look directly at it, as the light emitted can permanently damage your eyes. 

Observation: The magnesium lit up and sparked up for a while and then dimed out 

Discussion: Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium Oxide, Using the scissor tongs and the magnesium metal being held over the blue flame made the magnesium light up and burn for a few seconds. 

Conclusion: This experiment went very well and I learned that magnesium lights up when being burnt, I would not change anything during this experiment.