Magnesium Sulfide(MgS) Properties (25 Facts You Should Know)

Magnesium sulfide is an inorganic compound formed by the reaction of magnesium with sulfur. Let us explore more facts about magnesium sulfide in detail.

MgS is a rare non-terrestrial mining mineral niningerite found in some meteorites. Its specific heat capacity is 45.6 J/mol-K. The Point group of MgS is C∞V.MgS which is exemplary of chalcogenides and is an alloy-type electrode for lithium-ion batteries because of its low potential and high abundant magnesium resource.

In this article we shall discuss about Magnesium Suphide chemical formula, Chemial classification , reactions with acids and bases and many more.

MgS IUPAC name

The IUPAC NAME (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) of MgS is magnesium sulfide sulfanylidenemagnesium.

MgS chemical formula

Magnesium sulfide chemical formula MgS.

MgS CAS number

Magnesium sulfide CAS registry number (authentic numeric identifier which can contain upto10 digits)12032-36-9.

MgS ChemSpider ID

Magnesium sulfide has the ChemSpider ID (ChemSpider is a free chemical structure database) 8305407.

MgS chemical classification

Magnesium sulfide is chemically classified as;

  • The magnesium sulfide chemical name is Niningerite.
  • MgS is an inorganic compound formed by the reaction of sulfur and magnesium.
  • Magnesium sulfide is a Lewis acid.
  • Magnesium sulfide is an inorganic sulfide.

MgS molar mass

The molar mass of magnesium sulfide is 56.38g/mol. Molar mass can be estimated by the sum of the molar masses of ions present in the molecule. So, the molar masses of Mg & S are 24.305u and 32.025u. therefore molar mass of MgS is (24.305+32.025) =56.3 g/mol.

MgS color

Magnesium sulfide is a white crystalline material that usually comes across as impure and brown.

MgS viscosity

Magnesium sulfide has a viscosity of 26.7centipoise at 200. Viscosity can be characterized as the resistance of the flow of liquid.

MgS molar density

The molar density of MgS is 0.0475mol/cm3. We can compute Molar density by dividing the molar mass by density. MgS density and molar masses are 2.68g/cm3 and 56. 38u.Therefore molar density of MgS is 2.68/56.38=0.0475mol/cm3.

MgS melting point

Magnesium sulfide has the highest melting point of 20000 C. This highest melting point is due to the crystalline structure of MgS. So strong binding forces are present between the atoms.

MgS boiling point

The boiling point is not applicable for magnesium sulfide.

MgS state at room temperature

At room temperature, Magnesium sulfide is solid due to its strong melting point.

MgS ionic bond

The MgS compound is ionic in nature. Magnesium ions donate their two electrons to the sulfide atom, forming an ionic bond.

MgS ionic radius

In MgS, the ionic radius of Magnesium & Sulfur is 66pm and 184pm.

MgS electron configurations

The representation shows the arrangement of electrons into the atomic orbitals, known as electronic configuration. Let us see the electronic configuration of MgS;

The electronic configurations of Mg and S in MgS is [Ne]3s2 and [Ne]3s2 3p4. The magnesium ion has only two valence electrons, and the Sulfur atom has six valence electrons in its outermost orbital. So, the Mg ion contains 2 bonding electrons, and the Sulfide ion has 3 lone pairs of electrons and two bonding electrons.  

MgS oxidation state

The oxidation state of magnesium in MgS is +2 because it donates two electrons to the sulfide ion and gets a positive charge. At the same time, the oxidation state of sulfur in MgS is -2 because it gets two electrons from the magnesium ion and a negative charge.

MgS acidity/alkaline

MgS is slightly acidic as it is soluble in water and can react with acids like HCl. This reactivity is due to the sulfide ion pulling the magnesium ion to get the electrons. So, MgS can accept electrons due to its electropositive

Is MgS odorless

MgS odor is like a rotten egg which is very irritating.

Is MgS paramagnetic

Para magnetism is a property exhibited by compounds with unpaired electrons in their valency shell. Let us see whether MgS is paramagnetic or not.

Magnesium sulfide is not a paramagnetic compound since it does not contain any unpaired electrons in its outermost orbital.

MgS hydrates

MgS does not exist in any hydrate form because of its high melting point, but it can react with water to form hydrogen sulfide and magnesium hydroxide.

MgS crystal structure

Magnesium sulfide possesses a cubic crystal structure with cubic lattice parameters. The point group of the Magnesium sulfide crystal is hexagonal, having dimensions a=b=c= 5.23 Å and α=β=ɣ= 90.000, and volume is 142.97 ų.     

mgs
MgS Lewis Structure

MgS polarity and conductivity

  • MgS is a polar covalent molecule because the electronegativity difference between magnesium and sulfur is less than 1.8.
  • MgS conducts electricity but can carefully prepare its electronic conductivity to avoid contagion at a temperature from 973 to 1223 k.

MgS reaction with acid

MgS can undergo a reaction with many acids like hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and phosphoric acid to produce the most menacing hydrogen sulfide gas.

3MgS + 2H3PO4 = Mg3(PO4)2 + 3H2S

MgS + 2HCl = MgCl2 + H2S

MgS + 2HNO3 = Mg (NO3)+ H2S

MgS reaction with base

MgS can react with bases like NaOH to form magnesium hydroxide and sodium sulfide.

MgS + 2NaOH → H2MgO2 + Na2S

MgS reaction with oxide

MgS can react with many oxides to form magnesium oxide. For example, MgS react with sodium oxide to form sodium sulfide and magnesium oxide.

MgS + Na2O = Na2S + MgO

MgS reaction with the metal

One mole of aqueous magnesium sulfide reacts with solid copper to form one mole of solid covellite and one mole of solid magnesium.

MgS(aq) + Cu(s) = CuS(s) + Mg(s)

Conclusion

Magnesium sulfide is widely used as a semiconductor, lab reagent, and photodetector. As we have seen in many processes, it is mainly used for steel production and commercial purposes.