When magnesium burns, it reacts with oxygen in the air to form magnesium oxide. However, when magnesium burns inside a gas jar full of carbon dioxide, the reaction is different.
Carbon dioxide is a non-reactive gas, so it does not support combustion like oxygen does. When magnesium burns in a gas jar full of carbon dioxide, it will still react with the carbon dioxide gas to form magnesium oxide and carbon. The reaction can be represented by the following equation:
2Mg + CO2 -> 2MgO + C
The magnesium oxide formed is a white solid that may coat the inside of the gas jar, while the carbon produced may appear as a black residue. The burning of magnesium inside a gas jar full of carbon dioxide demonstrates the reactivity of magnesium with different gases and the formation of different products depending on the reactants present.