Among the bivalent metals the first place, with respect to their distribution in nature, is occupied by magnesium and calcium, just as sodium and potassium stand first amongst the univalent metals. The relation which exists between the atomic weights of these four metals confirms the above comparison. In fact, the combining weight of magnesium is equal to 24, and of calcium 40; whilst the combining weights of sodium and potassium are 23 and 39—that is, the latter are one unit less than the former.[9] They all belong to the number of light metals, as they have but a small specific gravity, in which respect they differ from the ordinary, generally known heavy, or ore, metals (for instance, iron, copper, silver, and lead), which are distinguished by a much greater specific gravity. There is no doubt that their low specific gravity has a significance, not only as a simple point of distinction, but also as a property which determines the fundamental properties of these metals. Indeed, all the light metals have a series of points of resemblance with the metals of the alkalis; thus both magnesium and calcium, like the metals of the alkalis, decompose water (without the addition of acids), although not so easily as the latter metals. The process of the decomposition is essentially one and the same; for example, Ca + 2H2O = CaH2O2 + H2—that is, hydrogen is liberated and a hydroxide of the metal formed. These hydroxides are bases which neutralise nearly all acids. However, the hydroxides RH2O2 of calcium and magnesium are in no respect so energetic as the hydroxides of the true metals of the alkalis; thus when heated they lose water, are not so soluble, develop less heat with acids, and form various salts, which are less stable and more easily decomposed by heat than the corresponding salts of sodium and potassium. Thus calcium and magnesium carbonates easily part with carbonic anhydride when ignited; the nitrates are also very easily decomposed by heat, calcium and magnesium oxides, CaO and MgO, being left behind. The chlorides of magnesium and calcium, when heated with water, evolve hydrogen chloride, forming the corresponding hydroxides, and when ignited the oxides themselves. All these points are evidence of a weakening of the alkaline properties.
These metals have been termed the metals of the alkaline earths, because they, like the alkali metals, form energetic bases. They are called alkaline earths because they are met with in nature in a state of combination, forming the insoluble mass of the earth, and because as oxides, RO, they themselves have an earthy appearance. Not a few salts of these metals are known which are insoluble in water, whilst the corresponding salts of the alkali metals are generally soluble—for example, the carbonates, phosphates, borates, and other salts of the alkaline earth metals are nearly insoluble. This enables us to separate the metals of the alkaline earths from the metals of the alkalis. For this purpose a solution of ammonium carbonate is added to a mixed solution of salts of both kinds of metals, when by a double decomposition the insoluble carbonates of the metals of the alkaline earths are formed and fall as a precipitate, whilst the metals of the alkalis remain in solution: RX2 + Na2CO3 = RCO3 + 2NaX.
We may here remark that the oxides of the metals of the alkaline earths are frequently called by special names: MgO is called magnesia or bitter earth; CaO, lime; SrO, strontia; and BaO, baryta.
In the primary rocks the oxides of calcium and magnesium are combined with silica, sometimes in variable quantities, so that in some cases the lime predominates and in other cases the magnesium. The two oxides, being analogous to each other, replace each other in equivalent quantities. The various forms of augite, hornblende, or amphibole, and of similar minerals, which enter into the composition of nearly all rocks, contain lime and magnesia and silica. The majority of the primary rocks also contain alumina, potash, and soda. These rocks, under the action of water (containing carbonic acid) and air, give up lime and magnesia to the water, and therefore they are contained in all kinds of water, and especially in sea-water. The carbonates CaCO3 and MgCO3, frequently met with in nature, are soluble in an excess of water saturated with carbonic anhydride,[10] and therefore many natural waters contain these salts, and are able to yield them when evaporated. However, one kilogram of water saturated with carbonic anhydride does not dissolve more than three grams of calcium carbonate. By gradually expelling the carbonic anhydride from such water, an insoluble precipitate of calcium carbonate separates out. It may confidently be stated that the formation of the very widely distributed strata of calcium and magnesium carbonates was of this nature, because these strata are of a sedimentary character—that is, such as would be exhibited by a gradually accumulating deposit on the bottom of the sea, and, moreover, frequently containing the remains of marine plants, and animals, shells, &c. It is very probable that the presence of these organisms in the sea has played the chief part in the precipitation of the carbonates from the sea water, because the plants absorb CO2, and many of the organisms CaCO3, and after death give deposits of carbonate of lime; for instance, chalk, which is almost entirely composed of the minute remains of the calcareous shields of such organisms. These deposits of calcium and magnesium carbonates are the most important sources of these metals. Lime generally predominates, because it is present in rocks and running water in greater quantity than magnesia, and in this case these sedimentary rocks are termed limestone. Some common flagstones used for paving, &c., and chalk may be taken as examples of this kind of formation. Those limestones in which a considerable portion of the calcium is replaced by magnesium are termed dolomites. The dolomites are distinguished by their hardness, and by their not parting with the whole of their carbonic anhydride so easily as the limestones under the action of acids. Dolomites[11] sometimes contain an equal number of molecules of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate, and they also sometimes appear in a crystalline form, which is easily intelligible, because calcium carbonate itself is exceedingly common in this form in nature, and is then known as calc spar, whilst natural crystalline magnesium carbonate is termed magnesite. The formation of the crystalline varieties of the insoluble carbonates is explained by the possibility of a slow deposition from solutions containing carbonic acid. Besides which (Chapter [X].) calcium and magnesium sulphates are obtained from sea water, and therefore they are met with both as deposits and in springs. It must be observed that magnesium is held in considerable quantities in sea water, because the sulphate and chloride of magnesium are very soluble in water, whilst calcium sulphate is but little soluble, and is used in the formation of shells; and therefore if the occurrence of considerable deposits of magnesium sulphate cannot be expected in nature, still, on the other hand, one would expect (and they do actually occur) large masses of calcium sulphate or gypsum, CaSO4,2H2O. Gypsum sometimes forms strata of immense size, which extend over many hectometres—for example, in Russia on the Volga, and in the Donetz and Baltic provinces.
Lime and magnesia also, but in much smaller quantities (only to the amount of several fractions of a per cent. and rarely more), enter into the composition of every fertile soil, and without these bases the soil is unable to support vegetation. Lime is particularly important in this respect, and its presence in a larger quantity generally improves the harvest, although purely calcareous soils are as a rule infertile. For this reason the soil is fertilised both with lime[12] itself and with marl—that is, with clay mixed with a certain quantity of calcium carbonate, strata of which are found nearly everywhere.
From the soil the lime and magnesia (in a smaller quantity) pass into the substance of plants, where they occur as salts. Certain of these salts separate in the interior of plants in a crystalline form—for example, calcium oxalate. The lime occurring in plants serves as the source for the formation of the various calcareous secretions which are so common in animals of all classes. The bones of the highest animal orders, the shells of mollusca, the covering of the sea-urchin, and similar solid secretions of sea animals, contain calcium salts; namely, the shells mainly calcium carbonate, and the bones mainly calcium phosphate. Certain limestones are almost entirely formed of such deposits. Odessa is situated on a limestone of this kind, composed of shells. Thus magnesium and calcium occur throughout the entire realm of nature, but calcium predominates.
As lime and magnesia form bases which are in many respects analogous, they were not distinguished from each other for a long time. Magnesia was obtained for the first time in the seventeenth century from Italy, and used as a medicine; and it was only in the last century that Black, Bergmann, and others distinguished magnesia from lime.
Metallic magnesium (and calcium also) is not obtained by heating magnesium oxide or the carbonate with charcoal, as the alkali metals are obtained,[13] but is liberated by the action of a galvanic current on fused magnesium chloride (best mixed with potassium chloride); Davy and Bussy obtained metallic magnesium by acting on magnesium chloride with the vapours of potassium. At the present time (Deville's process) magnesium is prepared in rather considerable quantities by a similar process, only the potassium is replaced by sodium. Anhydrous magnesium chloride, together with sodium chloride and calcium fluoride, is fused in a close crucible. The latter substances only serve to facilitate the formation of a fusible mass before and after the reaction, which is indispensable in order to prevent the access and action of air. One part of finely divided sodium to five parts of magnesium chloride is thrown into the strongly heated molten mass, and after stirring the reaction proceeds very quickly, and magnesium separates, MgCl2 + Na2 = Mg + 2NaCl. In working on a large scale, the powdery metallic magnesium is then subjected to distillation at a white heat. The distillation of the magnesium is necessary, because the undistilled metal is not homogeneous[14] and burns unevenly: the metal is prepared for the purpose of illumination. Magnesium is a white metal, like silver; it is not soft like the alkali metals, but is, on the contrary, hard like the majority of the ordinary metals. This follows from the fact that it melts at a somewhat high temperature—namely, about 500°—and boils at about 1000°. It is malleable and ductile, like the generality of metals, so that it can be drawn into wires and rolled into ribbon; it is most frequently used for lighting purposes in the latter form. Unlike the alkali metals, magnesium does not decompose the atmospheric moisture at the ordinary temperature, so that it is almost unacted on by air; it is not even acted on by water at the ordinary temperature, so that it may be washed to free it from sodium chloride. Magnesium only decomposes water with the evolution of hydrogen at the boiling point of water,[15] and more rapidly at still higher temperatures. This is explained by the fact that in decomposing water magnesium forms an insoluble hydroxide, MgH2O2, which covers the metal and hinders the further action of the water. Magnesium easily displaces hydrogen from acids, forming magnesium salts. When ignited it burns, not only in oxygen but in air (and even in carbonic anhydride), forming a white powder of magnesium oxide, or magnesia; in burning it emits a white and exceedingly brilliant light. The strength of this light naturally depends on the fact that magnesium (24 parts by weight) in burning evolves about 140 thousand heat units, and that the product of combustion, MgO, is infusible by heat; so that the vapour of the burning magnesium contains an ignited powder of non-volatile and infusible magnesia, and consequently presents all the conditions for the production of a brilliant light. The light emitted by burning magnesium contains many rays which act chemically, and are situated in the violet and ultra-violet parts of the spectrum. For this reason burning magnesium may be employed for producing photographic images.[16]
Owing to its great affinity for oxygen, magnesium reduces many metals (zinc, iron, bismuth, antimony, cadmium, tin, lead, copper, silver, and others) from solutions of their salts at the ordinary temperature,[17] and at a red heat finely divided magnesium takes up the oxygen from silica, alumina, boric anhydride, &c.; so that silicon and similar elements may be obtained by directly heating a mixture of powdered silica and magnesium in an infusible glass tube.[18]
The affinity of magnesium for the halogens is much more feeble than for oxygen,[19] as is at once evident from the fact that a solution of iodine acts feebly on magnesium; still magnesium burns in the vapours of iodine, bromine, and chlorine. The character of magnesium is also seen in the fact that all its salts, especially in the presence of water, are decomposable at a comparatively moderate temperature, the elements of the acid being evolved, and the magnesium oxide, which is non-volatile and unchangeable by heat, being left. This naturally refers to those acids which are themselves volatilised by heat. Even magnesium sulphate is completely decomposed at the temperature at which iron melts, oxide of magnesium remaining behind. This decomposition of magnesium salts by heat proceeds much more easily than that of calcium salts. For example, magnesium carbonate is totally decomposed at 170°, magnesium oxide being left behind. This magnesia, or magnesium oxide, is met with both in an anhydrous and hydrated state in nature (the anhydrous magnesia as the mineral periclase, MgO, and the hydrated magnesia as brucite, MgH2O2). Magnesia is a well-known medicine (calcined magnesia—magnesia usta). It is a white, extremely fine, and very voluminous powder, of specific gravity 3·4; it is infusible by heat, and only shrinks or shrivels in an oxyhydrogen flame. After long contact the anhydrous magnesia combines with water, although very slowly, forming the hydroxide Mg(HO)2, which, however, parts with its water with great ease when heated even below a red heat, and again yields anhydrous magnesia. This hydroxide is obtained directly as a gelatinous amorphous substance when a soluble alkali is mixed with a solution of any magnesium salt, MgCl2 + 2KHO = Mg(HO)2 + 2KCl. This decomposition is complete, and nearly all the magnesium passes into the precipitate; and this clearly shows the almost perfect insolubility of magnesia in water. Water dissolves a scarcely perceptible quantity of magnesium hydroxide—namely, one part is dissolved by 55,000 parts of water. Such a solution, however, has an alkaline reaction, and gives, with a salt of phosphoric acid, a precipitate of magnesium phosphate, which is still more insoluble. Magnesia is not only dissolved by acids, forming salts, but it also displaces certain other bases—for example, ammonia from ammonium salts when boiled; and the hydroxide also absorbs carbonic anhydride from the air. The magnesium salts, like those of calcium, potassium, and sodium, are colourless if they are formed from colourless acids. Those which are soluble have a bitter taste, whence magnesia has been termed bitter-earth. In comparison with the alkalis magnesia is a feeble base, inasmuch as it forms somewhat unstable salts, easily gives basic salts, forms acid salts with difficulty, and is able to give double salts with the salts of the alkalis, which facts are characteristic of feeble bases, as we shall see in becoming acquainted with the different metals.