 If we go across a roll on the periodic table, from sodium to magnesium, the ionization energy increases and the reactivity of the metal decreases. One thing that's very apparent is the difference in how we store the metals. Magnesium is not stored under kerosene or mineral oil, it's stored out in the air. And even after being stored out in the air for months, the metal still has a very shiny surface. The magnesium is an excellent conductor of electricity, as we can see using our conductivity tester. It's also a very malleable, flexible metal. If we add the magnesium metal to some water, we notice that the magnesium metal sinks. Group 2 metals are more dense than water. We also notice that there's no apparent reaction between the magnesium metal and the water. The magnesium metal has a much higher ionization energy than the sodium and therefore a lower reactivity. The magnesium will react slowly with the water at room temperature, but the reaction will increase significantly if we warm the sample. The bubbles that we see are not hydrogen gas, but steam. The solution will turn purple over a period of time as small amounts of magnesium hydroxide are produced. In order to demonstrate that we're getting a reaction, we'll add some phenethylene to the test tube. The solution will turn purple due to the formation of magnesium hydroxide.