chemistry

Magnesium chlorate

Magnesium chlorate is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Magnesium chlorate rather than just read about it. In short: Magnesium chlorate refers to inorganic compounds with the chemical formula Mg(ClO3)2(H2O)x. The anhydrous (x = 0), dihydrate (x = 2), and hexahydrate (x = 6) are known.

Key takeaways

Magnesium chlorate belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Magnesium chlorate to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Magnesium chlorate from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Magnesium chlorate refers to inorganic compounds with the chemical formula Mg(ClO3)2(H2O)x. The anhydrous (x = 0), dihydrate (x = 2), and hexahydrate (x = 6) are known. These are thermally labile white solids. The hexahydrate has been identified on the Martian surface.

Production Samples of magnesium chlorate were first claimed in 1920 as the result of treating magnesium oxide with chlorine. A more modern method involves electrolysis of magnesium chloride. The magnesium chlorate can be purified by exploiting its solubility in acetone. A more simple method of production is the reaction of barium chlorate and magnesium sulfate:

Ba(ClO3)2 + MgSO4 → BaSO4↓ + Mg(ClO3)2 The precipitated barium sulfate is filtered to yield a solution of magnesium chlorate, which when evaporated, yields crystals of the hexahydrate.

Properties The hexahydrate Mg(ClO3)2·6H2O decomposes to the tetrahydrate at 35 °C. At 65 °C, it dehydrates to the dihydrate, then at 80 °C forms a basic salt. If further heated to 120 °C it decomposes to water, oxygen, chlorine, and magnesium oxide. As confirmed by X-ray crystallography, the di- and hexahydrates feature octahedral Mg2+ centers. The other ligands are water, exclusively in the hexahydrate. In the dihydrate, chlorate is also coordinated and functions as a bridging ligand.

Uses Magnesium(II) chlorate is used as a powerful desiccant and a defoliant for cotton, potato, and rice. It is also found as a lubricant in eye drops as an inactive ingredient.

Hazards Magnesium chlorate is an oxidizer and can in principle form explosive mixtures.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Magnesium chlorate

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Magnesium chlorate claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Magnesium chlorate before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Magnesium chlorate ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Magnesium chlorate

In research: Magnesium chlorate appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Magnesium chlorate in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Magnesium chlorate is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chlorates, Magnesium compounds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Magnesium chlorate outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Magnesium chlorate in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Magnesium chlorate means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Magnesium chlorate out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Magnesium chlorate in simple terms?

Magnesium chlorate refers to inorganic compounds with the chemical formula Mg(ClO3)2(H2O)x. The anhydrous (x = 0), dihydrate (x = 2), and hexahydrate (x = 6) are known.

Why does Magnesium chlorate matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Magnesium chlorate?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Magnesium chlorate.