Why does the magnesium atom tend to form the 2 ion?

Answer 1

Magnesium has two outer shell electrons which are loosely held. This is not a stable configuration. As a result magnesium will lose those two electrons, making the electron shell below that, which has 8 electrons, the new outer shell. An electron shel with 8 electrons is stable.

Answer 2

Removing a third electron from a divalent magnesium ion would require a much higher energy than removing either of the first two electrons (a stable, noble gas electron configuration would be disrupted by removing the third electron). The energy requirement is so high that it can not be supplied by chemical reaction alone at normal temperature, but only by an imposed electric field or a very high temperature such as is found in plasmas.

Answer 3

It is in column two of the Periodic Table. Elements have a tendency to "want" to be a noble gas, therefore it gives up two valence electrons to fulfill this "desire".

Answer 4

It is much easier and more energetically favorable to lose two rather than gain 6.

Answer 5

Because Mg2+ has completely filled noble gas electronic configuration.

Answer 6

As a metal magnesium loss electrons and become a cation.