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Why is most magnesium production used to make lightweight alloys?
AMagnesium is the lightest of the widely used structural metals
BMagnesium is the heaviest structural metal available
CMagnesium cannot form alloys with other metals
DMagnesium is a radioactive element
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Magnesium is the lightest of the widely used structural metals
1. The industrial use of a structural metal is often driven by its density relative to its strength.
2. The text states: "Magnesium is the lightest of the widely used structural metals, which is why most magnesium production is for lightweight alloys."
3. Magnesium is not radioactive, and it clearly does form alloys -- that is the very use case described here.
4. So magnesium's low density among structural metals is why it is mostly used to make lightweight alloys.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry Ch 18 "Representative Metals, Metalloids, and Nonmetals", p.970 §18.1 Periodicity_
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