Magnesium sulphate

Magnesium sulfate is a chemical compound, a salt with the formula MgSO
4
, consisting of magnesium cations Mg2+
(20.19% by mass) and sulfate anions SO2−
4
. It is a white crystalline solid, soluble in water but not in ethanol.

Magnesium sulfate is usually encountered in the form of a hydrate MgSO
4
nH
2
O
, for various values of n between 1 and 11. The most common is the heptahydrate MgSO
4
·7H
2
O
, known as Epsom salt, which is a household chemical with many traditional uses, including bath salts.[1]

The main use of magnesium sulfate is in agriculture, to correct soils deficient in magnesium (an essential plant nutrient). The monohydrate is favored for this use; by the mid-1970s, its production was 2.3 million tons per year. The anhydrous form and several hydrates occur in nature as minerals, and the salt is a significant component of the water from some springs.

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