Magnesium nitrate

Magnesium nitrate is an inorganic salt composed of magnesium cations and nitrate anions, with the formula Mg(NO₃)₂. It is highly soluble in water and commonly occurs as a hydrated crystalline solid.

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Magnesium: Magnesium is a chemical element with atomic number 12 and a common divalent cation, Mg²⁺. Its Mg²⁺ cation supplies the positive charge in the salt.
Solubility: Solubility is the maximum amount of a substance that can dissolve in a specified solvent under stated conditions. Magnesium nitrate dissolves readily in water, producing hydrated magnesium and nitrate ions.
Fertilizer: A fertilizer supplies plants with nutrients needed for growth, commonly nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium. Magnesium nitrate supplies both plant-available magnesium and nitrate nitrogen.
Calcium nitrate: Calcium nitrate is an inorganic salt composed of calcium cations and nitrate anions. It supplies nitrate like magnesium nitrate but delivers calcium instead of magnesium.
Nitrate: Nitrate is the polyatomic anion NO₃⁻, in which nitrogen is bonded to three oxygen atoms. Two nitrate anions balance each magnesium cation in Mg(NO₃)₂.
Hydration energy: Hydration energy is the energy change associated with surrounding ions or molecules with water molecules. Water strongly solvates the ions and helps account for the salt's high aqueous solubility.
Hydroponics: Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants using a nutrient solution rather than soil. Its water solubility makes magnesium nitrate a source of magnesium and nitrogen in nutrient solutions.
Ammonium nitrate: Ammonium nitrate is an ionic compound with the formula NH₄NO₃, widely used as a fertilizer and explosive ingredient. Both salts contain nitrate, but ammonium nitrate has different cations and markedly different hazards.
Ionic compound: An ionic compound consists of positively and negatively charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction. Magnesium nitrate is an ionic salt formed from oppositely charged ions.
Thermal decomposition: Thermal decomposition is the breakdown of a substance into simpler products caused by heating. Heating magnesium nitrate produces magnesium oxide and nitrogen oxides, among other products.