It’s estimated that every cubic mile of ocean water contains 12 billion pounds of magnesium. A silvery-white metal, classified as an alkali earth metal, magnesium is found naturally combined with other elements, in substances called compounds. Students will learn about electrolysis, and about the process Sir Humphry Davy used to isolate small quantities of magnesium. The book describes the properties of metals, how magnesium is recovered, and how it is alloyed for use in hand tools, computers, lawn mowers, and digital cameras.