# How do you say Mg++ **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 11, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021 "2006-11-11T18:01:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Helix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@Helix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/1 "2006-11-11T18:01:20Z")
I’m curious how to correctly say chemical names having anionic and cationic charges? For instance, when describing magnesium with a cationic charge (like in a phone conversation), should I say, “Mg plus plus” or “Mg 2” or ? I tried Google and there is a lot of advice on pronouncing “cationic” but not so much on the rest of it. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/2 "2006-11-11T18:19:13Z")
‘Mg plus two’ is pretty common, or ‘magnesium plus two’. Actually, for metals that don’t change redox states often, it’s more common to just call them ions: ‘magnesium ions’. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/3 "2006-11-11T20:02:02Z")
I’d say “emm-gee two-plus”. In the case of atoms which don’t have more than one ionization state (like magensium), I’d probably just say “magnesium ions”. But iron, for example, can be “eff-ee three-plus” or “eff-ee two-plus”, depending. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/4 "2006-11-11T20:58:57Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin] I’d say “emm-gee two-plus”. In the case of atoms which don’t have more than one ionization state (like magensium), I’d probably just say “magnesium ions”. But iron, for example, can be “eff-ee three-plus” or “eff-ee two-plus”, depending. [/QUOTE] AKA “ferric ions” and “ferrous ions” respectively. Hence a rusty carnival ride is a ferrous wheel! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/5 "2006-11-11T21:23:07Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] ‘Mg plus two’ is pretty common, or ‘magnesium plus two’. Actually, for metals that don’t change redox states often, it’s more common to just call them ions: ‘magnesium ions’. [/QUOTE] This is what I’d say, also. JOKE ANSWER: Aluminum Magnesium is element 12. Increment (Mg++) that, and element 13 is Aluminum. Yes, I am a total nerd. ---
**Author:** ![Helix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@Helix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helix)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/6 "2006-11-11T21:36:31Z")
Many thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/7 "2006-11-11T22:15:50Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] AKA “ferric ions” and “ferrous ions” respectively. Hence a rusty carnival ride is a ferrous wheel! 😃 [/QUOTE] If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go stab myself in the eye with a rusty fork. From jealousy, you understand. Not annoyance. It’s deeply iron-ic. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/8 "2006-11-11T23:26:34Z")
“Magnesium two plus.” And boy, does that ion ever come up a lot in biochemistry. I’m so proud of myself for knowing that. ---
**Author:** ![PharmDia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PharmDia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmDia)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/9 "2006-11-11T23:41:08Z")
M G two-plus or magnesium two-plus. ---
**Author:** ![stochastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@stochastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stochastic)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-mg/380021/10 "2006-11-12T01:42:04Z")
While “Mg-2-plus” is how I’d say it, one could also refer to it as the “divalent cation of Magnesium”