What precautions should be taken when burning magnesium?

Answer 1

Magnesium ribbon is not particularly dangerous unless you ignite it. If it does catch fire, it will burn with an intensly bright white light that will burn your retinas if you aren't wearing appropriate eye protection or aren't looking away while it is burning. It is as bad as watching arc welding because of the ultraviolet light emitted.

It is good form to wear eye protection in the lab at all times. While you can tear the ribbon with your fingers, it is possible that it could poke you in the eye and scratch your cornea.

Answer 2

Precautions to be taken while Burning Magnesium with Oxygen:

As we know burning magnesium is bright, apart from this it produces some ultraviolet light. We should avoid looking directly at it. The burning magnesium is very hot so we should not touch it. As magnesium burns in the presence of carbon dioxide, the flame from burning magnesium does not put out from a CO2 fire extinguisher. So we should use a dry chemical fire extinguisher instead.

Answer 3

When burning magnesium, precautions should be taken to avoid inhalation of the fumes, as they can be harmful to the lungs. Additionally, eye protection should be worn to prevent damage from the intense light produced during the burning process. Lastly, a fire extinguisher should be nearby in case of any unexpected fires.