Can you create magnesium oxide with magnesium and oxygen without the use of flame?

Question

2Mg + O2 -> 2MgO

What im asking is.. does Mg react with the atmosphere?

Answer 1

No, it's an endothermic reaction meaning you need to add heat (but no necessarily a flame) to drive the reaction. The only way it would react with oxygen in the atmosphere is if the outside temperature where hot enough to drive the reaction. Of course, we'd all be dead, so we couldn't see it.