Magnesium gives up two electrons when it reacts so it has a charge of +2. Chlorine takes in one electron so it has a charge of -1. We need two chlorine atoms to take those two electrons from magnesium (which cancels out the overall charge 2-1-1=0). MgCl2. read more
Magnesium chloride is the name for the chemical compound with the formula MgCl 2 and its various hydrates MgCl 2 (H 2 O) x. These salts are typical ionic halides, being highly soluble in water. The hydrated magnesium chloride can be extracted from brine or sea water. In North America, magnesium chloride is produced primarily from Great Salt Lake brine. read more