magnesium ribbon burns with a dazzling flame in air (oxygen)and changes into a white substance, magnesium oxide. Is magnesium being oxidised orreduced in this reaction?

In this reaction, magnesium ribbon is burning in air (oxygen) and transforming into magnesium oxide, which is a white substance. To determine whether magnesium is being oxidized or reduced, we need to understand the concept of oxidation and reduction in chemical reactions.

Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction refers to the gain of electrons. In this case, we can observe that magnesium is combining with oxygen to form magnesium oxide. Oxygen is known to have a high electronegativity, meaning it has a strong tendency to attract electrons.

During the reaction, magnesium is losing electrons to oxygen, which indicates that it is being oxidized. Therefore, in this reaction, magnesium is being oxidized.