The electronic configuration of magnesium is (Ne)(3s) 2, and the atomic radius is 0.16 nm. Magnesium has an hcp lattice with a = 0.321nm and c = 0.521 nm. The diagram shows a schematic unit cell.

Hexagonal close packing is one of two crystal structures that derive from stacking close-packed-planes of hard sphere atoms. In the HCP structure only two stacking ...